Of Ferrets and Weasels
by Draco Malfoy etc
Summary: How come everyone thinks that Ginny Weasley sympathizes with Death Eaters? In the quest for truth, Ginny finds herself drawn into a much more sinister plot. DMGW
1. Detention

AN: This is a darker fic than my other story so it'll probably be longer too. But I dunno for sure. I mean the chapters seem to be inherently longer. You DO NOT have to read my other story to understand this story. That'll be reserved for the sequel to Shot Happiness

Disclaimer: I claim no right to any of the characters from Harry Potter…nor do I claim any right to any of the places that are found within JK Rowlings books. I claim no right to any spell, incantation, or subject that is brought up in Harry Potter…

AN2: Sorry it took forever to get this up but I was on vacation at the shore for the last week. But the good news is that I managed to write, somehow, 4 chapters…it's gonna be boring in the beginning, please remember that it takes a while to set the scene but once it's done the real fun can begin….K I'll shut up now.

OH wait one more thing…At one point in this chapter Malfoy is accused of being racist---just so you know he's not…

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my other fic. I will thank everyone who reviewed it since it finished in the start of my next fic (the sequel).

* * *

"Miss Weasley!"

"Huh?"

"Would you be so kind as to stay awake- that is the 3rd time this week I've had to wake you."

"Sorry Prof. McGonagall," Ginny muttered, going red.

"Yes well, we can discuss it after class."

Ginny groaned. Great, detention on Friday, just what she needed. She and Dean's relationship was already on the fritz, it was visibly strained in fact. She had planned to have a long talk with him tonight, now it looked as if that was not going to happen.

After class, she approached McGonagall who looked sternly at her through square glasses.

"Ginny," she sighed, "I honestly don't know what is wrong with you- do you find transfiguration a boring subject?"

"No, Prof." Ginny replied quickly.

"Very well, I have no choice but to request your presence at Detention tonight-please come to my room at 7. I suggest," she added severely, "that you try to get more sleep at night rather than in my class."

"Yes Prof." Ginny said, blushing.

"Shoo then, don't think that I'll be giving you a pass to Charms."

* * *

"Will everyone please take out their essays," Prof McGonagall said, addressing her sixth year students.

A shuffling of papers could be heard as everyone placed the parchment on their desk.

"_Accio_ essays," McGonagall said and the essays flew from the students desks into her outstretched hand. She glanced down at the first essay and said, frowning, "Miss Granger? Were you aware that I stated the essay need only be 2000 words?"

Hermione blushed and said, "I know Professor, but I felt the subject warranted a more thorough evaluation."

Draco Malfoy was lounging in the back of the room with the only other Slytherin students to make it to N.E.W.T.s Transformation- Blaise Zabini and surprisingly enough, Pansy Parkinson. He began to mimic Hermione- sending the other Slytherins into fits of laughter.

Prof. McGonagall rounded on Draco with vengeance, "Mr. Malfoy, I see that you have once again failed to turn in your essay, yet you persist in mimicking those who have. I'd like to see you after class."

Malfoy scowled.

* * *

After class, he paused by her desk. Prof. McGonagall adjusted her glasses and gave Draco a piercing stare.

"Mr. Malfoy I expect you to come by my room at 7 tonight for your detention. I must warn you that if this continues rest assured, your parents will be notified."

Draco's face went pale but he nodded grudgingly.

* * *

"Ginny," Dean said, smoothing her hair. "I know that our relationship has been shaky lately but I want you to know that I really want this and I'm willing to work to make it happen."

"I know we can do this, Dean," Ginny replied, kissing him, "But I gotta go now."

"I'll wait up for you, OK?"

* * *

Ginny was 10 minutes early to detention. She stood outside McGonagall's room, wondering what she'd have to do for detention. As she was imagining possible detentions, she heard people speaking in McGonagall's room.

"Severus I have bad news. Someone was trying to get into my office. You know what that means…"

"But how did they find out about the prophesy?"

"I don't know. But it's not safe here."

"Give it to me; I'll be able to set up the necessary precautions."

The rest of the conversation was drowned out by a bored drawling voice from behind her, "Weasel didn't your parents ever teach you not to eavesdrop? But of course they were probably too busy begging in order to put food on the table to teach you any manners!"

Ginny whirled around, wand in hand. "Say that again, Malfoy," she hissed, fury radiating off her in waves.

Draco opened his mouth, but hesitated.

"That's right, Malfoy, say nothing. It seems that Ferrets have some sense."

Draco whipped out his wand, "You filthy excuse for a pureblood. This is what I think of you!" He spat on the ground in front of Ginny with emphasis.

"At least my father has a respectable position in the Ministry," Ginny countered, "We may not be rich, but at least my parents don't have the Dark Mark."

Draco seemed to find this amusing however.

"Careful Weasley, one word from my father and your family is out on the streets, though that may be an improvement over that hovel you call a home." His grin widened, "Or, even better, I'll call up some of my Death Eater buddies and we'll murder your family in their sleep! You could always go off and live with precious Potter and his darling muggles."

"Compared to you, muggles would be a vast improvement. You're all talk Malfoy, you're just one slimy, oversized ferret who runs to daddy for protection!"

Draco's eyes glinted dangerously, "Careful Weasel," he hissed. "You forget your place. _Cru_-"

"Ahem, Mr. Malfoy I trust you are not about to practice magic in the hallways?" Snape was exiting McGonagall's room.

Draco shoved his wand into his robes and gave Snape an oily smile. "Oh no sir! I was just conversing with Weasel—I mean Weasley here."

"Well mind you keep your temper in check, I would hate to have to write up my favorite student. By the way, Draco, you got an O on the last project, beating Granger. Weasley I'm sad to say you got a P, you would do well to learn from Draco's example." With a swishing of robes, Snape departed.

Draco and Ginny only got time to glare at one another one more time before McGonagall opened the door.

"There you are," she said, "Well it turns out that I have some business to attend to, so our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Prof. Shacklebolt, will be conducting your detention."

"I have detention with him?" Ginny said in disbelief.

"I have detention with her?" Draco echoed.

"Yes," McGonagall replied shortly, "And you'd do well, both of you, to control yourself. One word from Prof. Shacklebolt about you two coming at each other's throats and you can be assured a week's detention in one another's company. Prof. Shacklebolt shall be here momentarily."

She then took off in the same direction Snape had gone.

Ginny and Draco both whipped their wands out.

"_Expelliarmus_!" They both shouted at the same time.

The force of the spell caused each to topple backward, relinquishing their wands. In a second they were up, scrambling for their wands. Panting, they faced each other, Ginny glaring at Malfoy, who sneered back.

"Ms. Weasley! Mr. Malfoy! Your absolute lack of self control is appalling."

Both turned in the direction of the newcomer, Prof. Shacklebolt had arrived. He stalked toward them, robes billowing behind him.

"10 points from each of your houses- rest assured, the heads of your houses _will_ hear about this! I demand that you shake hands and declare a truce, then your detention will begin."

With a sneer, Malfoy turned toward Ginny, offering his hand. With a grimace, Ginny took it. He gripped her hand, Ginny noted, with undue force. Tears sprang in her eyes as Malfoy crushed her hand. Finally they dropped each other's hands, and Ginny realized her palm was damp with perspiration. She hoped Malfoy hadn't noticed.

"Right, follow me, you're going to be having an unusual detention, but after that illegal duel I daresay you deserve it."

"Where are we going?" Malfoy said as Shacklebolt turned away from McGonagall's room, heading in the direction of the castle's entrance.

"The Forbidden Forest," was Shacklebolt's reply.

Malfoy's face paled. "Wha-What?" He croaked. "There's gotta be a mistake; I didn't turn in two essays- that does _not_ warrant a trip to the Forbidden Forest."

"Yeah," Ginny added, shocked that she and Malfoy could share sentiments.

"Tough," Shacklebolt replied grimly.

As they neared the Forbidden Forest, a wolf bayed, Ginny and Malfoy shared a terrified glance, then remembering themselves, replaced them with twin looks of disgust, turning away from each other as they did so.

Shacklebolt stopped so suddenly that Ginny and Malfoy knocked into him.

"What are we stopping?" Malfoy demanded.

Ginny rolled her eyes loftily, what a pain Malfoy was.

"Shut up. I need to make something perfectly clear to you. Your messing around could kill us all." He turned and gazed at Malfoy. "I don't want any casualties; if you follow my directions you'll be fine. Now the reason we're here is to get some potion ingredients for Prof. Snape. Keep your eyes peeled for valerian root, liverot, sableroot, and snaglebrush. The sooner we collect the ingredients, the sooner we can leave. I want you to both say right behind me. It is imperative that we not get separated."

That said, Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the woods. Ginny and Malfoy jostled to get close to the man. They ended up walking next to each other.

Malfoy shoved Ginny, who shoved him back. Angered, Malfoy pushed Ginny so hard she stumbled.

"Oh," she gasped. Her robes had gotten snagged on something, and she saw her knee was scraped.

"Hurry up," Malfoy snapped, hauling her unceremoniously to her feet.

Ginny glared at him, and straightened her robes. Prof. Shacklebolt didn't even break stride, he merely gave them a stony glance. Suddenly her bent down, using a knife to dig something from the ground. "Sableroot," he grunted.

They went on in silence. Ginny was tense with anticipation. She was expecting something, though what exactly she knew not, to jump out at her. They were walking single file now, and Ginny wondered how she'd ended up last in the procession. As she was wondering this, a creature burst from the underbrush, startled, Ginny jumped and dug her nails into Malfoy's shoulder.

Irritated, he turned towards her, "Get your filthy muggle-loving self off of me."

Ginny glared at him, attempting to cover her embarrassment and fear.

"Shush," Shacklebolt commanded. He stooped to grab a plant, "Liverot," he murmured.

Once again, they fell into silence, Ginny's fear-heightened as it was, caused her to keep as close as possible to Malfoy, occasionally such that she treaded on his heels.

"Quit it, will you," he exclaimed in annoyance.

Turning to face her, his arm brushed a thorn bush. "Ow," he said, furious, "This damn thorn bush pricked my arm!" He held his right arm up.

Kingsley stopped, bending to examine the thorn bush. "This is valerian." He got to his knee to dig up a root from the plant.

"But that means it acts as an anesthetic, and the thorns, hold toxins that, in their raw form, can cause the victim to go into an almost coma-like state!" Malfoy was plainly terrified as he recited the plant's properties.

'He sure knows his plants,' Ginny thought, slightly impressed.

Prof. Shacklebolt took Draco's arm and started to push the boy's sleeve up.

Malfoy jumped, as if he'd been scalded. Wrenching his arm loose, he said angrily, "What are you doing?"

Prof. Shacklebolt shrugged and turned away, continuing on.

"Wait, are you just gonna leave him here?" Ginny demanded.

"Do you actually care? I don't give a damn for his racist ass. Leave the whelp here I say."

Ginny was shocked by the bitterness in Shacklebolt's voice. Was Malfoy really racist? If so why didn't Ron and Harry know about it, they'd have been delighted to add it to the litany of reasons why Malfoy was scum. Of course he was a bigot where blood was concerned, but that was hardly surprising, many children from old wizarding stock grew up believing they were naturally superior.

She glanced at Malfoy again, and was shocked to see him crumpled on the ground, white-faced and sweating.

Ginny knelt by him, feeling, for the first time, something resembling concern for the hated boy. "Malfoy, someone needs to tend to your wound," she said.

"Leave me…alone—Weasel," Malfoy managed to spit out, from his now white lips.

Ginny sighed, grabbing his arm. She rolled up his sleeve then gasped and stumbled back from Malfoy, looking at him with a mixture of revulsion and horror.

There on his arm, grinning demonically at Ginny was the Dark Mark.


	2. Caught RedHanded

New chapter….

Thank you so much to louey31 for being my first reviewer! It means a ton for a new fic.

Disclaimer: Still applying.

* * *

"Surprised Weasel? I warned you, I warned you to stay away," Malfoy said, his eyes glinting feverishly.

"You-you," Ginny couldn't manage anything else.

"Are you really shocked?" Malfoy queried, licking his dry lips, and panting, "So do you still want to help poor defenseless Draco?" He tried to sneer at her, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Of course," Ginny said, "No one, not even you, deserves to go into a comatose state!"

"Don't be too sure, you don't know what I've done."

"Shut up and help me, I don't know the spell to cure you."

Malfoy muttered the charm to her; it was hard to understand him as he was now shaking violently. Ginny murmured the spell, her wand tip touching the nasty purple pucker on Malfoy's forearm, evidence that a powerful toxin had recently punctured his skin. Right above the wound was the Dark Mark; Ginny averted her eyes, aware that she was staring openly at it.

"Like it?" Malfoy managed to say.

"What do you think?" Ginny said, letting the disgust in her voice tell him the answer.

"It takes…5 minutes to work," Malfoy whispered.

It took Ginny a moment to figure out he was talking about the spell. She seriously hoped it would hurry up, Malfoy was looking worse by the second. He was white and sweating, and his face was contorted with pain. He closed his eyes and Ginny was aware that his face was prematurely lined, there was worry etched on his brow. From the way Malfoy clenched his jaw Ginny could see that he was truly suffering.

Meanwhile Kingsley Shacklebolt was nowhere to be found. He truly had walked on. Ginny experienced a flare of almost anger, over Malfoy no less. He might be a Death Eater but he was still a human.

Did this mean she was concerned about Draco Malfoy? Ginny wondered. No, she reassured herself, it just meant she was human.

"Weasel—Weasley!" A voice drew her back.

Malfoy had apparently recovered, he was lounging against the tree, no, he was leaning against the tree-no, he was leaning against the tree for support. His face looked haggard.

Suddenly, something shattered in Ginny's calm composure.

"Come on," she said, "We're going back to the castle."

"Our detention is not over," Malfoy reminded her annoyingly.

"Who cares? This detention is fucked up. We're going back!" Ginny snapped.

"OK, but if we get in trouble I'm blaming you Weasel."

Malfoy took a step and faltered.

"Do you need to lean on me?" Ginny said, not unkindly.

"I don't need help from Weasels!" Malfoy spat.

Ginny rolled her eyes, and gently grasped his forearm. "Come on, even Ferrets sometimes need help."

Malfoy made as to protest, but fell silent. Together they made their way up to the castle.

* * *

It was pitch black as they crossed the grounds, there was no doubt that it was past curfew. At least Malfoy was able to walk, though he still had to go to the infirmary, to, at the least, get the thorn out of his arm. They went up the main stairway, and then took the left staircase. This was the normal route to both Gryffindor tower and the infirmary; they should have emerged onto a short hallway containing two stairways and a suit of armor. What they found instead was a long hall dimly lit by flickering torches stuck on the wall.

"Malfoy," Ginny said, "Where are we?"

He, however, was already striding confidently down the hallway. Ginny, anxious about being alone, scurried to catch up with him.

A stairway spiraled up into darkness at the end of the hallway.

Malfoy began mounting the stairs; Ginny grabbed him, saying, "I think we're lost."

A seemingly infuriated Malfoy snapped, "Look Weasel, I didn't ask you're goddamn opinion. Find your own way if you're so positive we're lost."

He then twisted out of her grip and stomped up the steps.

Ginny glared after him, smarting from his reply, but she followed him up the steps. The stairs led to an equally ill-lit passageway, where a lone torch attempted to dispel the darkness. A tapestry hung from the wall, depicting a witch standing with a unicorn, a humongous dragon curled up at her feet. Malfoy impatiently pushed it aside, revealing yet another passage.

"Malfoy are you sure we're not lost?" Ginny could not help blurting out.

Malfoy sighed, saying, "Look, you Weasels may have trouble finding the nose on your face, but us Malfoys, we have an innate sense of direction- I know where we're going."

He proceeded down the hallway, and Ginny, feeling slightly assured, followed.

A door was visible, and Malfoy grasped the knob.

He attempted to turn it, but nothing seemed to happen. Perplexed, he preceded to rattle it, which apparently did nothing. He continued to jiggle the doorknob, but it seemed futile to Ginny, she grasped her wand and murmured, "_Alohomora"._

The door didn't open, but a loud voice behind them shouted, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED! SOUND THE ALARM!"

Ginny and Malfoy whirled around, they saw a small, transparent man, grinning wickedly.

"Peeves," Malfoy groaned.

"Peeves please don't," Ginny pleaded desperately, "Come on, please Peeves."

The poltergeist merely cackled and flew at them. Ginny ducked, and when she straightened, she found herself looking at a very livid Snape.

"Weasley? Malfoy? What in the hell are you doing?" He snapped.

"P-Prof," Ginny stammered, "We're trying to get to the infirmary."

"Follow me," Snape said icily.

Ginny glanced at Draco, who was giving the door a final tug.


	3. Expulsion?

Thanks to:

HyperSquishy-for being an awesome repeat reviewer who decided to follow me to my second work. Yes in this story Ginny and Draco are destined for trouble.

louey31-who did the very same. First reviewer so the encouragement I needed to continue. Yeah, I wanted Draco to not lose his character cause I felt that I definitely lost touch with his character in the last fic (been re-watching the movies + reading up on his quotes in the books to make sure I can keep his personality as close as possible to reality. Thank you so much for the nice comments it was really really nice.

blondiluvbanana-Yes, I know what you mean. Everyone thinks I'm nuts cause he's my favorite character but he just is and I can't help it...Thanks for the compliments- it means a lot.

Disclaimer: No claim to any character OK?

They followed Snape who stormed wordlessly down the passages. They descended the spiral staircase and found themselves in a brightly lit corridor that was completely different from the one they'd walked through a mere 10 minutes ago.

Ginny gaped, and Malfoy even seemed bewildered. Snape however, stopped before a door, the only one in the hallway, and rapped sharply. As they waited, Ginny was positive that things were gonna get a lot worse.

Her premonition was proved correct seconds later when none other than a furious-looking Prof McGonagall opened the door.

"Severus, are these the two?"

"I found them attempting to force entry into the room. The brazenness which they displayed was almost unimaginable."

"I must at least question the part which Ms. Weasley played in this," Prof McGonagall said.

"I found Ms. Weasley using the unlocking charm, unsuccessfully of course, on the door, as well as pleading with a witness to rebate his statement." A sneer played on Snape's lips.

While this was occurring, Ginny was distinctly aware of a horrible sinking sensation in her stomach. Snape hated her guts, maybe it had to do with Ron or the twins, but for whatever reason, he'd always derived a vindictive pleasure from seeing her get into trouble.

"What were you doing there Ms. Weasley?" Prof. McGonagall demanded sharply.

"Me and - - Malfoy were trying to find our way to the infirmary."

"The infirmary?" McGonagall repeated scornfully. "Then how in hell did you end up trying to force entry into Snape's office?"

'Snape's office?' Ginny thought, totally confused.

"The stairs," Ginny said weakly.

McGonagall snorted lightly, and rounded on Malfoy.

"Do you have a different story?"

"No, Malfoy said sullenly, "That's the truth."

"So why were you going to the infirmary?" Malfoy refused to answer, and McGonagall looked incredibly frustrated. "So let me get this straight, you both left your detention without a reason, not the consent of our teacher, somehow you got injured, were walking up to the infirmary, but ended up trying to break into Prof. Snape's office. Yet you refuse to explain why you needed to go to the infirmary, nor do you have any proof."

Ginny glared at McGonagall and said coldly, "We left detention because Malfoy got pricked by a valerian thorn, and Shacklebolt didn't even bother curing him, he left him there to die. It was my idea to leave detention and Malfoy has a mark on his arm from the thorn."

McGonagall grabbed Malfoy's arm and was shocked when he wrenched it from her grasp.

"Don't touch me! Weasley is in a state of delirium, there's nothing the matter with my arm."

"Malfoy you got pricked by that damn thorn, show them the mark!" Ginny said.

"Weasel will you shut your incessant chatter?" Malfoy snapped.

"It seems," McGonagall remarked dryly, "That we have two conflicting stories and no way in which to separate the truth from your lies."

"Veritaserum," Ginny declared.

Malfoy's eyes widened and his pallor seemed to turn whiter still.

"I know my rights and I know that I can refuse veritaserum...and being forced a truth potion could have you sacked in an instant."

"No problem, Malfoy," Ginny said, "I'd take one."

"She has agreed, therefore we can administer the truth potion on her."

"No!" Malfoy said, startling them all, "You can't give her veritaserum because I put her under the Imperius curse."

"What?" McGonagall, Snape and Ginny all exclaimed.

"Why, may I ask, did you do that?" McGonagall finally said.

Malfoy shrugged, "I thought it'd be fun," he replied blandly.

"Let me see your wand, Draco," McGonagall said suddenly. Dumb-founded, Malfoy handed her the wand he was clutching.

"_Prior Incanto_," McGonagall said and suddenly a ghostly image of Expelliarmus hovered above the wand. "This spell was used over 5 hours, if Ms. Weasley was already under the Imperius curse, you would not have needed such a spell."

"I...I used her wand," Draco stuttered.

"Now why, Draco, would you use the girl's own wand on her, it'd be much easier to use your own. Would it not?" Snape asked, brow furrowed in mock confusion.

"I...didn't want it to be traced back to me," Malfoy said by way of explanation.

"I am not sure why you are attempting to protect Ms. Weasley, Draco," Snape said coldly, his gaze piercing.

Malfoy looked as if to speak, but he bit his tongue.

Ginny was glad he'd decided to shut up. What the hell was he trying to pull, saying he'd put her under the Imperius curse? He wasn't being gallant, of that Ginny was sure. He was most likely covering his own ass. She was suddenly filled with disgust for the whole lot of them: Malfoy, for being a bastard Death Eater, Snape for holding maniacal grudges, and McGonagall, whom Ginny had allotted most of the blame. It was incredibly stupid, absurd even, locked up in a room with McGonagall, Snape and Malfoy. Ginny honestly felt she'd rather die than be in their combined company. Suddenly she realized Snape was speaking, she pulled herself back with not a little effort.

"-Thus it is obvious that Ms. Weasley is not in fact under the Imperius curse...so she was an accomplice, not a victim. I must confess that I myself would never have dreamed she'd have had a hand in this business..."

"Well Severus, what do we do," McGonagall asked, "are we to expel them?"

Ginny felt her stomach lurch unpleasantly. _Expelled?_

"We can't," Snape said bitterly, "we don't have evidence. If we give Veritaserum to Weasley, they'll say she was under Imperius curse, it'll never fly before the committee."

"So they are to stay?" McGonagall said incredulously.

"Yes," Snape said with finality, then his face split into a twisted grin, "I think," he added, fixing his fierce gaze on Ginny, "that soon they may wish they'd been expelled. Children can be so cruel."

"You may go," McGonagall said curtly.

Ginny and Malfoy fled the room.

Ginny couldn't resist the temptation to have the last word, "An innate sense of direction, eh?"


	4. Ginny's Bad Day

This chapter is dedicated to my reviewers...

Thank you to:

HyperSquishy-Thank you for being my repeat reviewer! It means a ton to have reviews at the beginning of a fic...that way you know people are reading it. I think maybe the chapter could've ended on a dark note, but it was too good to resist...thanks again HyperSquishy you're the best!

Lolo-Thank you soo much! In this fic my Draco is definitely gonna be darker, he's not gonna warm up to Ginny in like .2 chapters although he may seem too...oh no! spoilers!

KatieMalfoy19-Thank you. I'm really excited that you like it...I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

louey31-Yes I know this part is a little confusing...hopefully it'll all become clear in the subsequent chapters...thanks for being my best reviewer! It means the world to me! I know only too well what you mean by how dreamy Draco is...all of my friends hate him, but I just adore him...err...sorry about that too much information I know...

LunarianPrincess-Thanks! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story enough to review...I'm also delighted that you found it interesting/intriguing...hopefully this chapter will answer some questions? (Unfortunately, it'll cause even more questions to surface...oh no!)

Disclaimer: Let's go over this again, I own absolutely nothing except the Eagles jersey on my back. Dies IMPORTANT Title shamelessly stolen from the delightful children's book _Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day_ I unfortunately do not own any rights to this story, merely my own rather worn copy of it. All rights for that story belong solely to their owners and the author Judith Viorst.

AN: Some characters are going to act **highly out of character**, this is not an accident, it is for a reason, they have to act OOC in order for the plotline to continue.

**Chapter 4: Ginny and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

* * *

**

Ginny woke to an empty dorm room. She rolled over to look at the clock, 7:45. Strange, usually most of the other girls were still in bed at this hour. She had a killed headache and wondered why. Had last night truly happened? It seemed, in retrospect, more suited for some fantastic dream. Still, Ginny thought ruefully, it had happened, and the only comfort was it was over. Never would she have to even speak to Malfoy. If only she knew how terribly wrong she was.

* * *

Draco woke slowly, reluctantly opening his eyes with great misgiving. The world slowly took shape, and rather belated, Draco realized Crabbe was about the only thing he could see. The boy's face being mere inches from Draco's own.

"Cra-Crabbe, I have to see your ugly mug ever day, I _don't _want it to be the first thing I see in the morning." Draco said irate.

Crabbe hastily withdrew, he had apparently been peering intently at Draco, perhaps wondering why he was not yet up.

"What time is it?" Malfoy muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"...7:50" Crabbe grunted finally, after consulting his watch for a minute or so.

Draco dressed quickly, "Well what are you waiting for?" He snapped.

They ascended from the dungeons to the main hallway. Draco strode forward confidently, terrified first and second years leaping to get out of his way. Draco smirked, he _owned_ Hogwarts. Anyone who didn't get out of his way fast enough earned a kick from Malfoy or a beating from Crabbe and Goyle.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ginny had to struggle through the same crowds that Malfoy was parting like butter. It was weird, Ginny thought, the Common Room had been just as deserted as her dorm, normally it was full of stragglers. Ginny was shunted aside suddenly by a burly 7th year.

"Hey!" She yelled, furious.

There was a path a little ahead of her, and she fought her way to it. She broke through the crowd, only to collide with something very tall and blond.

"Ooofh," the person said.

"Oh I'm so sorry," Ginny said automatically, and then she looked up and saw it was Malfoy.

"Malfoy," she said tentatively.

"Weasley," he drawled, pulling himself up to his full height.

"I didn't mean to knock into you, I was just struggling through the crowd, I didn't see you."

"Like I care, tell you what boys," he said, addressing Crabbe and Goyle, "Let's show Weasley how Slytherin royalty do crowds."

"Hurry up," Malfoy snapped at her as he strode forward.

The crowds began to fold behind Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Ginny, feeling the suffocating crowds press against her, jogged to keep up with the lanky blond.

"Why are you being so nice Malfoy?" Ginny asked, watching as the crowds did indeed make way for the Slytherin hot shots.

"Nice?" Malfoy sneered, "I'm not being nice- I just have something I need to tell you."

"What?"

Malfoy turned and stared straight at Ginny, his eyes cold, "If you tell anyone about this," he gestured to his right forearm, "I'll kill you."

"The thorn?" Ginny asked dumbly.

"No moron, my Mark."

They were now in the Great Hall, Ginny walked to Gryffindor's table, Malfoy's threat ringing in her ears. She shivered in spite of herself. Now that he was a Death Eater such a threat had to be taken seriously. He wasn't a pale, scrawny, rich, mama's boy any more- well actually he still was Ginny decided, except he now had a Dark Mark on his arm.

The absurdity of the situation hit Ginny. Here she was, talking calmly with Draco Malfoy, as if he _wasn't_ a Death Eater. What the hell was wrong with her, Ginny wondered. Right after breakfast she ought to tell Dumbledore that there was a Death Eater in the castle.

She smiled at Neville, Seamus, Dean, Ron and Hermione, all of whom had been huddled over the table, apparently deep in conversation. They all glanced at her, but none of them smiled, in fact, hey all had cold expressions.

"Hi guys," Ginny said, guess I wasn't the only one who got a lousy sleep last night, she thought to herself.

No one responded to her greeting and Ginny's brow furrowed. There was definitely something wrong, why, Neville looked positively green!

"What's wrong?" She asked, starting to feel alarmed.

Everyone looked pointedly at Harry who sighed loudly and said in a queer voice, "Ginny, we heard some strange rumors."

_Rumors? _She thought totally bewildered."About what?"

Harry's face took on a strange expression, "About you."

"Me?" Ginny said in disbelief.

"Yeah we heard- -" Harry was suddenly interrupted.

"Were you or where you not with Malfoy last night?" Ron demanded, his expression stormy.

Ginny, caught by surprise, could only gape at Ron, when she finally recovered her voice she stammered, "Ye-Yes, but we had detention together."

"Oh really? Then how come I've heard that you were found wandering the halls together?" Ron retorted.

"What? Well we got lost-"

"Oh?" Ron said, a wry smile on his face, "Then how come I heard you and Malfoy are the ones who have been trying to break into teacher's rooms?"

"Wha-What?" Ginny sputtered.

She found herself once again lost for words. '_Did everyone really think they were the ones who had been breaking into the Professor's rooms?' _She wondered. Everyone had known for weeks about the mysterious person or persons who had broken into the offices of Prof. Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, Prof. Sprout, Prof. Trelawney, Prof. Flitwick. No one knew who they were or what they wanted. As far as everyone knew, they had not stolen anything, merely ransacked the offices. There was a persistent rumor that those responsible were in fact Death Eaters.

"We haven't been trying to steal from the teachers. That's ridiculous!" She searched the each of her friends faces, anxiously, desperately looking for a flicker of...what? Sympathy? Understanding? Hermione and Harry uneasily looked away when she scrutinized them. Neville ducked his head, Seamus turned away, only Dean and Ron held her gaze. "Dean?" she said. Good old Dean, he'd support her, only yesterday he had told her that he wanted to be with her.

Dean however looked betrayed and disgusted, "I...waited dup for you last night- while you snuck around with...Malfoy? I...don't think this'll work..." He then turned his back on her.

"Dean!" She cried out, her eyes misting over with tears. Almost unwillingly, she turned to her brother, "Ron?" She cringed, his face was clouded with anger and his ears were scarlet.

"You," he said, looking revolted, "You're a Death Eater sympathizer!"

"No!" Ginny gasped. No, he couldn't, she wasn't, they knew surely? How could they think that?

"Yes," he pressed, "Maybe you've always been one. We only have your word that you opened the Chamber of Secrets unwillingly. Maybe you had it in for the Muggle-born! You and Malfoy working together even then? You seemed mighty cozy walking in together to breakfast!"

"You...bastard," she said slowly. She found she was shaking with suppressed anger, "Fine," she spat, "Fine, I see that you believe I'm guilty, well I don't need you, any of you. I'll prove I'm innocent and then you'll all be sorry! So just sit there you hypocrites and betray me...I...I hope you rot!"

She ran from the Great Hall, hot tears spilling from her eyes. How could they abandon her like that? How could they believe stupid rumors and not her? She suddenly despised them, all of them, pretending to rationalize their decision to kick her out. How could Dean dump her?

"I'm better without you!" She shouted to an empty hallway. "Ron! How dare you insinuate that I knowingly unleashed the Basilisk and sicced it on...Mudbloods...like...Granger!"

She never heard the low chuckle from behind her.

* * *

Draco was having a marvelous morning thus far. He'd sent two Hufflepuff 3rd years into hysterical tears, he'd beat up a 7th year Gryffindor, and now his mother had sent him a care package of sweets and a note saying that his grandfather Abraxas Malfoy had died and left Draco half of his fortune- 300 million galleons. Old Abraxas had always been inordinately fond of Draco, often comparing Draco to himself when he was younger. This was heady praise as Abraxas was a literal genius in the Dark Arts, in fact, as a boy little older than Draco was now, he'd actually came up with the Crucius curse. Along with all the wealth, half of his estates were passed on to Draco. That meant he was currently the third richest wizard in the world (after Mathilda Malfoy – Abraxas' ill-tempered wife, and Draco's own father, Lucius Malfoy) and he had not even turned 17 yet! Poor old Grand Abraxas, Draco had actually been rather fond of him, and he'd been one of a select few whom Draco actually respected. Now he sat, wondering if his day could get any better.

He only half-listened as Pansy gossiped happily, suddenly he heard his own name. "Wa-What?" He said.

Pansy frowned but dutifully repeated her latest scoop. "Everyone's saying that you and that Weasley girl are the one's behind the break-ins?"

"Break-ins?" Draco echoed, his brain still rather fuzzy from imagining the new custom built one of a kind broom his new wealth could buy him.

"How have you not heard about the break-ins? Everyone's been talking about them for weeks!"

"Are you going to explain or what?" Draco said icily.

"Oh, well, it's just that recently someone has been breaking into the Professors offices, no one knows who though, no one is sure what they're after either. But I heard that they're after a prophesy... I was just wondering if this was a...you know," Pansy lowered her voice, "A mission..." She returned to a normal voice, "So are you behind the break-ins?"

Malfoy shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not."

"But ...you were with Weasley last night," Pansy persisted, "Weren't you?"

"Yeah, why Pansy, wish it were you?" He said snidely, the other Slytherins laughed loudly.

Pansy flushed, it was well known she had fancied Draco for ages.

Blaise who was sitting next to Draco, nodded to the Gryffindor table, "Looks like the girl's in trouble."

All the Slytherins looked up, they could see an obviously furious Ginny and an equally angry Ron and Dean, all arguing.

"I wish we could hear what they were saying," Draco said.

Blaise performed a clever magnifying charm and suddenly the Slytherin table was privy to the private Gryffindor talk.

Dean's voice sounded as if it was right next to them, "I...waited dup for you last night- while you snuck around with...Malfoy? I...don't think this'll work..."

The girl said Dean's name, sounding if she was about to burst into tears. She turned to her brother, Weasel King, seeking support no doubt.

"You, you're a Death Eater sympathizer!" Ron said, appalled.

"No!" The Weasel girl said. She sounded, Draco thought, as if her world was crashing down around her ears. It probably was, he realized, in a rare moment of insight.

Weasel King didn't stop there, "Yes, Maybe you've always been one. We only have your word that you opened the Chamber of Secrets unwillingly. Maybe you had it in for the Muggle-born! You and Malfoy working together even then? You seemed mighty cozy walking in together to breakfast!"

The Slytherins all let out a low whistle; even they were well aware how serious such a charge would be for Gryffindors.

'The girl Weasel seems to have it coming for her,' Malfoy thought, with a tad less relish then normal. However, the fiery redhead proved him and the rest of the Slytherins wrong.

"You...bastard," she said faintly. Then her voice rose to a squeaky pitch, "Fine, Fine, I see that you believe I'm guilty, well I don't need you, any of you. I'll prove I'm innocent and then you'll all be sorry! So just sit there you hypocrites and betray me...I...I hope you rot!"

With that, the girl ran from the room. All of the Slytherins turned to Malfoy who grinned and said, "You know, I think the littlest Weasel could be a Slytherin."

All of the other Slytherins agreed, she had a temper, and she wasn't like the rest of the happy-go-lucky Gryffindors.

Blaise, after a pregnant pause said, "You know Draco, that little Weasel is upset with her friends and family...she's a rash Gryffindor, swayed by her emotions. We could easily persuade her to join our cause. Think how badly she must want revenge- he family is very close to Dumbledore, no doubt she's got information that He'd be interested in."

"I dunno," Pansy interjected, "She's been pretty vehement about the Dark arts, she's really against them. Plus, in her first year, He had her under His power, I think it'd be really difficult to get her on our side."

"Well that's why Draco needs to initiate it," Blaise replied.

"Me?" Draco said, perplexed.

"Yes," Blaise stated, "You are the one she trusts the most. You are the one she cares for the most of all of us, not that that's saying much, nonetheless." He paused, "Well? What do you say?"

Draco hesitated, it didn't feel right to hoodwink a girl who had just been publicly disowned by her family and friends.

"Maybe," Blaise said carefully, "Maybe you care for the girl, and don't want to see her hurt."

Draco's eyes flashed, steel and cold, "Careful Zabini," he snarled, "Don't forget which of us is a full-fledged Death Eater. I don't care for that Weasel, I'm Draco Malfoy- I care for no girl. We'll do it."


	5. Unexpected Allies

AN: OK this chapter is gonna be long and dedicated to reviewers cause you guys make the world go round.

Thanks to:

HyperSquishy-For being the best encourager (may not be a word) a writer could ask for...

Disclaimer: Claim no right to Harry Potter characters...just to my McNabb jersey and my Brian Dawkins jersey..._Go Eagles!_ Sorry.

Note: A lot of characters will be **acting highly OOC (**Out Of Character) if you see one of the characters doing something they would never do, be assured it is merely for plot purposes. I promise that I will be as close to the series as possible. No unnecessary OOCness...like Snape tap dancing etc.

**Chapter 5: Unexpected Allies

* * *

**

"GINERVA WEASLEY I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY EXPELLED YOU. BREAKING INTO SNAPE'S OFFICE? RECEIVED LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT. COULD DIE OF SHAME. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? SNEAKING AROUND WITH THAT MALFOY BOY! FATHER IS A DEATH EATER! BE SURPRISED IF HE DOESN'T BECOME ONE! WE DIDN'T RAISE YOU TO GET MIXED UP WITH MALFOYS! I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH DISGRACEFUL BEHAVIOR. WORST THING EVER! NONE OF YOUR BROTHERS DID ANYTHING CLOSE TO THIS! ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D BE THE ONE TO RUIN THE FAMILY NAME! THOUGHT YOU HAD MORE SENSE! DON'T COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS- DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU. MALFOYS!"

The letter burst into flames and the whole Great Hall breathed as one. Ginny, sitting alone at the end of the Gryffindor table got up quietly and left. She fled the Great Hall and found a broom closet nearby where she could sit and sob. It had been 3 days since that detention and life had been hell for Ginny. Her dorm mates gave her a bed by the door, farthest from them. Rather than shutting up when they saw her, they gossiped openly before her.

One of the most popular rumors was she'd seduced Draco Malfoy in the astronomy tower. Ron had avoided her since the blow-up at breakfast, and he'd tell anyone who listened that Ginny was adopted. Fred and George had sent her a temporary Dark Mark.

Hot tears stung her cheeks, rolled down her face and gathered at her chin. Was life worth living? She hadn't talked to a single person since Saturday morning. She had spent the last two days in bed, in fact, not even leaving for meals. Today she had been sorely tempted to skip classes but figured that that would prove she was being affected by the treatment she was receiving. Of course, it was affecting her; else, she wouldn't be hiding out in a closet right now, would she? It just seemed so hopeless, there was no guarantee that life would ever return to normal. Should she give up?

Suddenly she was aware of someone knocking on the closet door.

"Go away!" She shouted. How the hell had they found her?

Instead of walking away, the unknown person sounded as if they had seated themselves against the other side of the door.

"Weasel?"

'Oh God,' Ginny thought, it was Malfoy, Death Eater extraordinaire. One of the people she definitely did not want seeing her holed up in a broom closet.

"What is it Malfoy?" she said, praying he'd bore of this and find someone else to bother- like the Golden Trio.

"Well Weasley, I was going to have a good cry in a broom closet, but it seems you beat me to it," he drawled lightly.

Oh how she longed to punch him in that perfect face of his.

"Ha ha Malfoy, how do you do it?" She said.

"Do what?" He sounded mildly curious.

Ginny let herself smirked, unknowingly mirroring that a certain blond boy.

"Manage to be a world-class git every single day."

Ginny was delighted to note a long pause.

"Is this you acting sympathetic?" He replied.

"Sympathetic?" Ginny was baffled. _What _was he talking about?

"Well I heard you're a Death Eater sympathizer."

Hot anger surged in Ginny's chest. She wrenched the door open, happy to note that it had sent Malfoy face-first into the ground.

She started to drift down the hallway when he called out, "Weasley!"

She didn't turn around or stop, just continued down the hallway, his voice following her as she did so. "We need to talk."

* * *

Monday morning, Draco was regaling Blaise Zabini with Ginny's remarks.

"I followed her into the hallway after breakfast and I find her shouting to no one. She's screaming 'I'm better without you! Ron! How dare you insinuate that I knowingly unleashed the Basilisk and sicced it on...Mudbloods...like...Granger!' It was the most Slytherin thing I've ever heard a non-Slytherin say. This is gonna be a cinch. We can have her spilling her guts to Voldemort in no time!"

"Draco," Blaise cautioned, "That was nothing more than a moment of extreme emotional upheaval. Now that she's calmed down somewhat it'll be harder to convince her."

Draco thoughtfully bit into a piece of toast, he frowned, Blaise was right of course. His eyes swept the Great Hall. He spotted that Weasley girl coming into the hall. She looked drawn and pale. She was still upset Draco was pleased to note.

Blaise followed Draco's eyes and said, "So she's finally here. I thought she might've died. You know, we should definitely keep track of that girl."

"Why?" Draco said, looking disgusted.

"Well, she_ is _probably privy to some important information that He would be interested in."

"Oh fine," Draco sighed, "_Mobilus markus_."

"What's that?" Blaise asked instantly.

"Well...you did say we needed to keep track of her, so I just put a tracking spell on her. If an occasion should arise when we should need to know where she is," Draco's expression showed exactly how often he thought that would be, "Then we just need to say _Mobilus trakus _and you'll see a red line leading straight to her...my father taught it to me. They used it on all the Death Eaters. It's old Dark Magic."

"Why's it Dark magic? It seems harmless to me," Blaise responded.

"Yeah," Draco replied with a twisted smile, "Except nobody needs such a powerful tracking spell unless...well, they have nefarious reasons for keeping track of people."

Blaise shivered a little, "You know Draco, you creep me out sometimes."

"Why thanks, and you Blaise—" What exactly Draco was about to say was cut off by a howler.

As one the two Slytherin boy's necks swiveled in the direction of the magnified voice. There sat Girl Weasel looking absolutely petrified, gazing up at the scarlet letter in fright. After a rant in which Draco was mentioned, indirectly, nearly half a dozen times, the voice finally stopped. The letter burst into flames, and a ringing silence met their ears. Draco and Blaise looked at one another, and turned back to look for the Weasley girl, but she was gone.

Blaise nudged Draco, "What?" Draco snapped.

"Go after her."

"Why?" Draco asked, appalled at the suggestion.

"She's upset, Gryffindors are so easy to convince when they're not thinking rationally."

"You mean that there are actually times when they think rationally?" Draco asked, shocked.

The other Slytherins dissolved into laughter.

* * *

Draco strolled out of the Great Hall, and muttered "_Mobilus trakus"_ A line appeared before him, leading directly towards a tiny broom closet.

"Good God," he sighed, "How like a Gryffindork," he grimaced, what an awful insult, a travesty, surely he couldn't be losing his edge?

He approached the closet, but refrained from opening it- no need to look at the Weasel until it was unavoidable. He knocked instead.

"Go away!" Was her response.

"Weasel?" He called. He heard the girl sniffling, 'Oh please no,' he thought, 'I'm in _no_ condition to deal with a weeping Weasel.'

"What is it Malfoy?" The Weasel demanded.

He eased himself down to the ground, acutely aware of his arm, which still had that thorn in it. He knew he had to remove it, and soon, but he didn't want to do it himself, Madam Pomfrey was out of the question and he sure as hell didn't want anyone in Slytherin seeing him maybe in pain, displaying weakness, something despised by Slytherins.

So for now he had a large thorn in his arm, and the wound was not healing well, in fact, it had turned a nasty shade of green. He dismissed his injury from his mind, and answered Ginny, smirking.

After delivering a relatively low blow to remind the Weasel that he was in control of the situation, he reclined against the door, expecting her to cry or something.

When she instead replied in like manner, making him look foolish-much to his chagrin, he realized that he honestly could not predict this girl whatsoever.

He sneered, he knew how to get even with the girl- hit her where it hurts – and he had.

"Well I heard you're a Death Eater sympathizer," he said, expecting waterworks, a stream of curse, anything but a face full of floor.

Shock set in, he, Draco Malfoy, the youngest Death Eater, and third richest wizard in the world had just been sent flying by a _Weasel_? How utterly embarrassing, yet, he had to admit it was a highly Slytherin way of getting even-none of that expounding on your emotions shit that you found in Gryffindor.

* * *

Ginny sat in Potions, she was already so very sick of school. In Transfiguration, the mouse she was supposed to be vanishing refused to vanish and she strongly suspected that someone had definitely placed a sticking charm on the mouse. In Charms, the crow she was supposed to be silencing ended up attacking her, while the other students laughed hysterically. Now what? She wondered. What would the Slytherins make her endure? She was sitting at a table by herself, Snape had, miraculously, acted as if she did not exist, she waited now for the Slytherins to spill a potion on her or...or something...but it never happened. One Slytherin girl even gave her something resembling a smile, and one boy whispered where they were supposed to be in the potion. Ginny was shocked at first but then figured that they believed she was a Death Eater sympathizer and thus a friend. As it was, anyone acting friendly was a vast improvement.

After class, Ginny decided to go to the library, no sense in letting the Potions homework wait until the last minute. Oh, Hermione would be so proud of her. Hermione. With a sick lurch of her stomach, Ginny remembered that Hermione now believed she was friendly with Death Eaters. No more would she be able to hang out with the older girl. Lost in thought, Ginny didn't realize that she was surrounded until too late.

"Hey! You're the Death Eater girl!" One boy said.

Startled, Ginny looked up; the boy seemed to be a sixth year Ravenclaw.

"You're the bitch who is in love with Malfoy!" A second said.

_What? _

"I heard she's a little whore!" Another added.

Ginny tried to disentangle herself from the group of boys; however, her efforts were in vain.

"So she's easy?"

"You bet- she did it with Malfoy in the Astronomy Tower."

"Can we get some then?"

Ginny backed away from the boy, only to bump into another one. They drew in close around her.

"She's pretty though," one said, reaching out to touch her hair.

_"Touch her McGraw, and you will suffer more than just impotence!" _

Ginny looked up startled, there stood Malfoy, looking striking in his green and silver robes. The group of boys dissolved, leaving only Ginny and Draco.

"Thank you Malfoy," Ginny said breathlessly.

He looked at her with scorn, "Well it's obvious you are incapable of taking care of yourself. I told you we needed to talk, so we'll do that now."


	6. Into the Snake's Lair

Special thanks to:

blondiluvbanana- Yes...I must admit I'm a sucker for an anti-hero Draco...thanks for the review!

louey31-Yes, Draco may find himself frequently baffled by a certain Weasley, it's just good for his ego that he realize that not every girl will fall over herself trying to please him.

HyperSquishy- I'm glad you think so. Yes, Draco's motives are hardly what we'd hope/want them to be (or would we?) and I definitely think it's safe to say that what he needs to tell her leads to some interesting...stuff.

Disclaimer: Do not own anything except for possibly my tracking spell and my polo shirt that I'm wearing (no the collar is _not_ popped)

Please review because I put a ton of time into this chapter and it's really encouraging to get reviews...plus this chapter is insanely long etc.

* * *

"What do you want to talk about Malfoy?" Ginny asked, her tone casual.

"Not here," he replied, "Come on, let's go down to the dungeons."

Ginny frowned, but Malfoy had just _saved_ her.

She followed him down a side corridor into the dungeons; they were a seeming labyrinth of passages. He finally stopped in front of a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.

"Pure blood supremacy," he said with a smirk.

The concealed stone door slid open. Malfoy marched through the doorway, but Ginny hesitated.

For some stupid reason, or so she told herself, she felt that by crossing the Slytherin threshold she would be committing the ultimate act of betrayal, entirely turning her back on her Gryffindor roots, on her friends and family. Yet why not? One corner of her mind argued persuasively- had they not already spurned her- they had betrayed her in an hour of need, could anyone blame her for reciprocating?

"Come on," Malfoy snapped.

She shrugged and crossed the threshold.

The Slytherin common room was a long underground room, the walls and ceiling were stone and on the whole it left something to be desired. Ginny thought longingly of the bright and cheery Gryffindor common room. She noticed a fireplace with an elaborate mantelpiece around which high-backed chairs were arranged.

"Hurry up Weasley," Malfoy sighed.

She noticed many Slytherins eyeing her with only a tinge of vapid curiosity. None seemed shocked to see the red-haired Gryffindor in their common room.

Malfoy motioned to a spiral staircase, which he proceeded to mount. Déjà vu hit Ginny as she watched him ascend the stairs. Had it been only four days ago that she and Malfoy had found themselves mounting similar stairs only to be caught and falsely accused of a ridiculous crime? She climbed the stairs and followed Malfoy who stopped before a room marked – _"Draco Malfoy's – Keep Out!"_

She scoffed at the sign; it seemed all too apt for Malfoy.

The room elicited a grudging gasp of astonishment. The only dorms she'd seen –her own, Hermione's, Harry and Ron's - they'd all been very uniform, and she'd assumed that everyone had such dorms. This room was a far cry from the slightly cramped, messy dorm she had shared with the girls in her year for the last five years.

First of all, it contained only one bed, and the bed was huge. Even Ginny had to admit the room was tastefully decorated, and considering the color scheme- silver and green- that had probably not been an easy task. He had a personal fireplace, a large desk, a leather couch, and Ginny spied a door opening into what seemed to be a bathroom, and she would have bet her last sickle it was gigantic as well. The most remarkable thing may well have been how immaculate it was.

"Well Weasley are you going to come in or just stand and gape?"

Ginny's eyes widened, going alone into a room with only Malfoy seemed like a bad idea.

"Just need to talk," Malfoy said, astutely.

What the hell? Ginny thought, if he tried anything funny, she could always hex him six ways from Sunday.

She entered the room. Malfoy immediately locked the door, to which Ginny cocked a brow.

"It's rather private," he said by way of explanation. He sprawled carelessly on his enormous bed, "Come on, sit."

Ginny obeyed him, perching cautiously on the edge of the bed.

"What?" Ginny said, amazed that she was sitting her in Draco Malfoy's bedroom, on his bed, talking casually, and him a Death Eater no less!"

Draco was lazing on his elbows and seemed to ooze self-confidence.

"Weasel, we have to talk about the situation," he said.

"Situation? Malfoy I was not aware there _was_ a situation," Ginny replied.

Malfoy's eyes cut in her direction; she looked so out of place- the lion in the snake's lair.

"Weasley don't play stupid," he drawled, "Although it may just be a hereditary disease, like that_ awful_ red-hair and those damn freckles."

Ginny clenched her fists, she did _not_ have to stay here and listen to this. "Malfoy I'm leaving," she said, getting up.

"Sit down Weasel," Malfoy said laconically, he smiled slightly, "I guess what they say about red-heads is true."

Ginny maintained her position by the door.

Malfoy rolled onto his side, looking at her, "Look Weasley, if you leave you'll find yourself absolutely alone. Surely you've noticed how nice, well at least nice for them, the Slytherins have been? Guess who told them to behave that way- you go out that door; they won't be nice any more."

Ginny hesitated, torn.

"Why'd I even bother?" Malfoy said disgusted, "I should have known you're prejudice against us Slytherins, you always take the high road, you Gryffindors, you act all high and mighty, but the truth is you're just as bad as us!"

Ginny was incensed, she considered herself to be a very fair person. How dare Malfoy- of all people, insinuate that she was prejudice like himself? If she left she'd just prove that to him, so she had no choice but to retreat back to the bed.

"That's better, now as I was saying, we have a situation on our hands. I dunno how it's been for you, but I'm sure it's worse than what I'm going through."

Startled by what she deemed to be a true attempt at compassion, Ginny turned to Malfoy.

"It has been bad," she admitted, "I...I feel like an intruder, like I don't belong near the other Gryffindors."

Why was she admitting to Malfoy something that she had trouble admitting to herself Ginny wondered. Her mind screamed 'He's a Death Eater!'

"Maybe I was wrong," Malfoy said thoughtfully, "You seem to be getting more like us every day."

"That's not a compliment you know!" Ginny declared angrily.

Malfoy shrugged, "Must be my old Slytherin ineptitude kicking in."

Ginny laughed, almost hysterically, at a remark that was hardly funny. _'I must be cracking up_,' she thought. All of a sudden it seemed so hilarious-her and Malfoy engaging in a semi-decent, quasi-normal conversation in his room, after she had been publicly humiliated, and (temporarily) disbarred by her family and friends. All because she had fallen asleep once or twice in Transfiguration.

"All right there Weasel?" Malfoy said, looking rather alarmed.

"I'm fine," she replied.

Suddenly she saw something long and green slither out from underneath the bed.

She shrieked, clutching Malfoy, "What is that?"

Draco winced and hissed in pain, she was grabbing him right where the thorn was. The snake that Ginny had been screaming about was only old Salazar, he'd been living here in the dungeons for ages.

Ginny looked at Malfoy, "What's wrong?"

"The thorn, I never bothered to take it out of my arm," Malfoy mumbled.

Ginny looked horrified, "You mean you haven't gotten it removed, why didn't you go to the infirmary?"

"And let Madam Pomfrey see my Dark Mark?" Malfoy sneered. "Besides," he shrugged, "It doesn't hurt that much."

"So you're just planning on leaving it in there?" Ginny asked doubtfully.

"I don't see you offering to pull it out," Malfoy snapped.

"Fine."

"Fine- what?" Malfoy said.

"Fine I'll take the thorn out of your arm," Ginny responded.

"You will?" Malfoy echoed unwittingly.

"I said yes," Ginny said shortly.

Malfoy began taking his shirt off.

"_What are you doing_? I thought you said we were just gonna talk Malfoy," Ginny said going red.

"You're a prude –aren't you?" Malfoy said, flinging his shirt on the floor.

"What?" Ginny squeaked, her voice embarrassingly a few decibels above average, "Just because you suddenly taking your shirt off freaks me out doesn't make me a prude. In fact I'd go so far as to suggest it means I'm normal!"

"Hey Weasel, don't get all huffy and whatnot on me," Malfoy said smirking, "Just because you're prude and easily flustered near gorgeous guys doesn't mean I'm gonna de-prude you. Here's the thorn," He motioned to his right forearm.

"Right," Ginny said, trying to rein her thoughts back to the task at hand, and away from Malfoy's torso. "OK."

She kneeled on the bed next to Malfoy. She glanced up into his eyes and was shocked to see a trace in those steel gray eyes. She gently took his right arm in her hands, her eyes immediately drawn to the Dark Mark.

Malfoy smirked at her, "Want one?"

Ginny glared at him, "Malfoy I'm warning you..."

Her eyes trailed to the thorn, she shuttered. "Oh Malfoy, how could you have possibly lived with this in your arm!"

It truly looked dreadful, the area around the thorn that had been a sickly green before was now black, and a nasty pus oozed from it. The thorn itself was huge, the size of her fist perhaps.

Malfoy shrugged, "It didn't hurt that much," he lied.

Ginny rolled her eyes and grasped the end of the thorn.

Malfoy inhaled sharply, his face instantly contorting in pain.

"Didn't hurt much?" Ginny scoffed gently.

Malfoy scowled at her. Ginny slowly, painstakingly, pulled at the thorn."

Unbidden, tears came to Malfoy's eyes he angrily brushed them away. Pus poured from the wound, and Ginny frowned, this wasn't going to work well, the thorn had barely budged, yet it was obviously causing Malfoy pain. She licked her suddenly dry lips and glanced up at Malfoy. He looked so gorgeous, so striking. Belatedly she realized they were moving towards each other. Her heart was suddenly in her throat. Were they going to? Surely not.

Their lips met gently and Ginny found she was trembling. Malfoy's arms encircled her, and she was suddenly pushed up against him. Her grip on the thorn tightened and Malfoy gasped against her lips. She in turn smirked, his tongue darting into her mouth. It was a searing, bruising kiss, and unwillingly Ginny melted into his arms. She experienced a sensory overload, the musky, masculine smell of Draco's cologne, the way her spine tingled at his touch, his gentle fingers caressing her chest. His lips against her own, his warm breath on her neck. Her mind quit working and she didn't care.

Suddenly they broke apart, panting. Draco's hair was mussed delightfully, his pale cheeks tinged with pink, and his jeans, Ginny was mortified to notice, were unbuttoned-had she done that? Her fragmented mind brought forth a memory of her clumsily undoing the buttons, and pulling down the zipper. Ginny looked down at herself and blushed scarlet, her shirt was unbuttoned and her bra clearly displayed, another memory of Draco fumbling with the buttons, as she pushed up against him. Oh God! Her skirt too was bunched up at her thigh. A memory surfaced of Draco – no! Malfoy caressing her inner thigh and she groaning against his lips.

"Hey what happened to the thorn?" Malfoy asked, tearing her from her thoughts.

Ginny glanced at his arm; sure enough, she noticed it was gone. Then she raised her hand, she had been clutching it unknowingly.

"I must have pulled it out when..." she blushed madly, and refused to continue.

"Imagine what dear Potter would say if he heard that his little Weasel snogged bad old Malfoy, "he said sneering.

_Harry._ "You wouldn't," Ginny hissed.

"Wouldn't I?" Malfoy challenged.

"Hello Draco, Ginny, it is good to see you both well," a voice suddenly said.

Ginny screamed, looking around in confusion. The voice was coming from the fire, where Dumbledore's head was currently visible.

Belatedly, Ginny realized how she was dressed, and she began buttoning her blouse, flushing to her roots in embarrassment.

"Headmaster," Malfoy said slowly, his eyes narrowing. He too quickly slipped on his shirt.

"I must request your presence, both of you, in my office as soon as possible. I enjoy Mars Bars." Then as suddenly as it appeared, Dumbledore's head vanished.

Ginny continued buttoning her shirt.

"Need some help," Malfoy said smirking.

"NO!" She snapped.

They stood up, Ginny hastily straightening her skirt.

"Let's go," Malfoy said.

"Umm..." Ginny said, "Your zipper," she finally managed- her face beet-red.

Malfoy smirked as he zipped his pants, "Horny little one, aren't we?"

"Shut up Malfoy, I'm warning you!"

They left the room, passing through the common room in turn. Ginny wondered if it was obvious what they'd been up to- her skirt and blouse were wrinkled, Malfoy's hair was mussed, and their lips swollen.

They said the password (Mars Bars) and entered Dumbledore's office.

"Welcome," Dumbledore said. He sat at his desk, hands folded neatly. "Now I've heard much about the two of you and I must say it's surprising."

"Professor? Surely you don't believe it do you?" Ginny asked urgently.

"Yes Ms. Weasley, I'm afraid I have no choice but to believe Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall over the two of you. However, Ms. Weasley, your dorm mates have expressed concerns about sharing a room with you. Now Mr. Malfoy do you think that Ms. Weasley could stay in your House?"

"Sure, that is if you want to Weasley?"

"Oh...I don't care."

"Very well, then it's settle," Dumbledore flicked his wand, "Ms. Weasley I have transferred all your belongings to a new room, I would advise you to not enter Gryffindor's house as that will be considered trespassing henceforth. Well I believe that is all..."

"Professor," Ginny cried, "I'm innocent, I'm innocent."

"Ms. Weasley," Dumbledore said sternly, "It would be prudent for you to leave. I trust Mr. Malfoy that you will take care of her."

"No!" Ginny cried, running from the room.

Malfoy hesitated then took off after her.

* * *

"Ms. Weasley," Dumbledore said, to an empty room, "Of course you are innocent, but like it or not, you're already too involved, and I fear your role in this is just beginning." 


	7. Only a Kiss

volleyballblonde –Thanks...yes Draco of course gets to save Ginny...only fair.

louey31 – Thanks so much...yes I think it was pretty surprising too.

HyperSquishy – You're absolutely right...she's like definitely a Slytherin now...cool.

blondesRhot52-Oh no that's not it...they were trying to get into a room that turned out to be Snape's office and everyone assumed that they were trying to break in to get at something. Because there was a rash of break-ins into the teachers offices, Draco and Ginny caught red-handed are assumed to be the perps. Since he's a Malfoy everyone assumes that Ginny is a Death Eater sympathizer...OK I'm sorry I really can't explain it...if you don't get it well then don't worry...I'll be revealing more stuff later...

slytheringrl17- Oh I'm glad you like it. I'm updating as fast as possible. I'll have more time now that the summer is coming to an end. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this before school starts in September...shudder

Disclaimer: Yeaa...don't own it...

- - - - - -

Draco fled Dumbledore's chambers in search of Weasley. However, it looked like she was missing.

He cursed and muttered, "_Mobilus trakus" _the red line led not to a nearby closet, but rather up into the astronomy tower.

"Weasley," he said to himself, "What the hell are you doing?"

He mounted the stairs, hesitantly, reluctantly, why was he inexplicably mixed up in all this? How dare Dumbledore assign him to be that filthy Weasel's guard- why did he get the nasty feeling that the old geezer knew more than he let on? Draco had definitely not liked the way the man's clear blue eyes had raked his right forearm. He shook himself, as much as he hated to admit it, Dumbledore gave him the creeps. He paused at the top step, there sat the Weasel girl. She was not yet aware of his presence, she just sat there, and her hair gently billowing behind her glinted reddish gold. She whispered something and Draco strained to hear.

"Harry, oh Harry, I'm so tired of this, why did you abandon me?"

She looked almost...pretty there- no he didn't mean that of course! Damn, he couldn't stay here any longer, who knew what other foolishness would possess him?

He cleared his throat, "Weasley!" He said her name a tad sharper than he intended and was pleased to see her flinch.

Her eyes turned on Draco and she gazed at him blearily.

"Oh hi Malfoy," she said in a strange high-pitched voice.

"Come on Weasel," he said.

"Why?" She said, a flicker of defiance dancing in her eyes (mud brown Draco thought spitefully).

"Why?" He echoed, sighing and running a hand distractedly through his pale hair.

"Yes, I mean is there any point in going back down there –they all hate me, all of them, they say such awful stuff like how I seduced you in the astronomy tower, oh!"

An awkward silence descended upon them, which Draco broke when he said, "Look, do we have to talk here?"

"You don't have to stay-I was quite fine without you here," she said pointedly.

"Oh yeah," Draco scoffed, "Talking to _dear Harry_." He spoke in a high falsetto, "_Oh Harry I'm so tired of this why did you have to..._"

He stopped; she was pointing her wand straight at his neck. In her rage, her wand hand was quivering.

"You...are an insufferable git!" she hissed, rage glinting in those brown eyes.

"That's not what you were saying an hour ago," he smirked.

A flush rose in her cheeks.

Encouraged, Draco continued, "How do you explain that?" he jeered, "How can you possibly snog _horrible awful Death Eater Malfoy_ and then work up the nerve to tell the Boy-Who-Lived's memory he abandoned _you_."

Ginny's wand fell to her side, "I hate you," she stated.

Draco brushed her ear with his mouth, his warm breath tickling her neck. In a husky voice he taunted, "No you don't – you fancy me."

He proceeded to plant feathery kisses along her jaw.

Ginny wished desperately to pull away but her body had quit responding to her brain so that instead of pushing him off, she clasped the small of his neck. He trailed his mouth down her neck and she moaned in response.

- - - -

The Weasel pressed her lips to his own, surprising him slightly with the ferocity of her kiss. He smirked against her mouth; two could play at that game. He shoved her against the turret, eliciting a gasp from Weasley. He took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. He started to undue the buttons on her blouse. The Weasel's face tinged pink, but she didn't protest.

**"Oh my God!" **

Both Ginny and Draco's heads swiveled as one, surprised to see they were not alone. There in the doorway stood a very horrified Hermione.

"You...slut! I...can't believe it," the Gryffindor girl pursed her lips – looking remarkably like Professor McGonagall.

"Granger do you _mind_? We're rather in the middle of something!" Draco snapped.

"I can see that," she sniffed. The bushy-haired girl turned and left.

"Filthy Mudblood," Malfoy snarled.

He turned back to his conquest, but she was already buttoning her now incredibly wrinkled shirt. A growl of frustration rose in his throat how insufferably annoying this Weasel was.

"Do you want me to escort you back to the dungeons?" He asked, surprising himself.

"N-No," she stammered.

"Don't be stupid," he replied, "You'll get lost on your own."

"And you would care why?" She retorted almost hysterical.

"Don't do this," he warned her.

"Why? Why Malfoy? Do you do this to all the girls you snog?"

Draco blinked, surely, she wasn't going to get into that clingy girlfriend routine- if she was, he thought clenching his jaw, she was in for a nasty surprise.

"Weasley don't flatter yourself- you weren't that good. No, Dumbledore apparently saw fit to order me to take care of your sorry self. You can rest assured, I was _most _unwilling."

Instead of responding, the girl left.

"Great," Draco muttered following her, "Just great."

Malfoy took the stairs two at a time. He caught up with her at the final stair. He grabbed her by the shoulder and wrenched around.

"What?" She said petulantly.

"Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" Instantly an image of another man, much taller, saying that to a small cowering boy arose in his mind, he shook free of the memory.

"I'll do whatsoever I please Malfoy-as if a great Ferret like you could stop me!" she retorted defiantly- eyes flashing.

"Oh I think you'd be quite surprised what this ferret can do," Malfoy whispered, nuzzling her ear.

"Leave me alone Malfoy!" the girl cried, wrenching free and fleeing.

Draco growled in frustration, kicking a marble pedestal, the resounding crash of the priceless statue made him feel slightly better.

- - - -

Ginny had run off for the dungeons, and it had taken quite a while for her to realize she was hopeless, utterly lost. Every stretch of wall looked exactly the same, every corridor a replica of the one before it, until she was half-convinced she was traveling around in a circle. She shivered; how had she not noticed how cold it was down here? She kept walking. Fatigue hit her with surprising force. Sleep had not come easily of late and it had been a long day. She sunk to the ground, burying her head in her knees. Weighty emotions assuaged her. Doubt, revulsion and guilt: Could she actually have been trying to break into the professors offices? Revulsion took the form of Draco Malfoy, twice in one day, she had succumbed to his advances, and twice she had ended up in a shameful position wishing fervently that they'd gone further. Twice they'd been witnessed- damn Hermione, why the hell had she come up there anyway? She'd seen Ginny at her worst, and was sure to tell Ron and Harry all about it. Oh, it would destroy her if they found out! Harry, oh Harry! His beautiful soulful eyes, his unruly black hair, his voice always clouded with concern except for Saturday that is. Ron. Poor naïve Ron, he was always the last to figure out things. He was a model Gryffindor- ruled by his emotions, a little dim, loyal to the end, brave, courageous. He was everything she'd always tried to be, and look at her now, a Slytherin in all but name. Tears of exhaustion leaked from her eyes. Was it only five days ago that her biggest worry was whether she wanted to break up with Dean? That seemed so remote from the world she now inhabited. Ginny was so deep in thought that she didn't realize anyone was there until they spoke.

"Ginny?" The voice was feminine and filled with concern.

"Huh?" She looked up, for one wild moment she thought it might be Hermione, but of course, it wasn't. It was...Pansy Parkinson.

"We were worried about you, are you alright?" The older girl seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine," Ginny said shortly.

"Come on, I'll help you find our house- this place is really dangerous if you don't know where you're going." Pansy offered Ginny a hand, helping her to her feet.

"You know, you shouldn't let Draco get to you like that. He really doesn't know ho to treat women, it's because of his father."

"I didn't let Malfoy get to me," Ginny fairly spat.

"He's a good kisser of course," Pansy continued, her eyes sliding Ginny's way.

Ginny blushed violently.

"Don't worry about Draco; he just needs the right girl."

"And you're that girl?" Ginny asked almost acerbically.

"Me?" Pansy said, shocked, "Oh no! No, I'm dating Blaise- he's not quite as handsome as Draco but he's quite charming. Course it only took me 6 years to realize Draco wasn't for me," at this Pansy gave a fluttery little laugh. "Anyway, I just want to know, did you and Draco...in the astronomy tower? Cause that Mudblood Granger is saying you did." She looked to Ginny for confirmation.

Ginny nodded stiffly.

"Really, wow, you guys made out twice."

"So," Ginny said, "He's probably snogged many girls multiple times."

"Oh no...he's never...not more than once. Maybe he likes you?"

"I don't care if he likes me- I hate him."

They stopped before the wall and Pansy stated the password.

She looked at Ginny knowingly and said, "Well if you ever want to talk..."

- - - -

"What do you mean you let her wander off by herself?" Blaise snapped.

"Look she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself," Draco replied defensively.

"Nonetheless, how the hell do you expect to win her to our side? Merely snogging her a few times will not work."

"Blaise you don't even know if she knows anything," Draco argued.

"Want to bet? I heard Weasel King and Potter in the library fretting that she might tell you about something called 'The Order' they also were discussing whether to go to Dumbledore and tell him to do a memory wipe on her."

"Oh fine," Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I'll make her fall for me."


	8. Blood Brothers

AN: OK I stayed in today to finish this so hopefully a lot of people will review cause basically I spent my whole day on this story...just a little bitter.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything...well I do own the T-shirt on my back (today it's a shirt blazoned with the logo of my middle school-talk about fashionable...)

**Thanks so much to: **

**HyperSquishy**-is he? Hahaha I won't tell...

**louey31**-Draco sure is a git...and we'll have to wait to see if they cross into love...or don't...oh I shan't reveal yet...

Please review cause this chapter ispretty long...

* * *

Ginny sat on her bed in her huge new room and wondered if she'd ever felt so alone. She gently touched her lips and felt again Malfoy's mouth, his tongue, and his kisses. She flushed crimson and told herself sternly 'I will not fall for Draco Malfoy. I will not!'

Still, his kisses had been amazing...and he was handsome...No! She was not going to extol Malfoy's good points (which were admittedly few and far between). She took up a quill and ink and with great deliberation wrote

"Reasons I HATE Malfoy"

* * *

Malfoy sat on his bed with Blaise, both staring into the depths of the fire. Lucius Malfoy's head stared back.

"So boy you're telling me you're hooking the Weasley girl? For what purpose?"

Draco licked his lips and said quickly, "You know how close her family is to Dumbledore- if there is a resistance, as He thinks, they are sure to be a part of it. Plants in the Ministry- no matter how useless or lowly they may be are sure to be of use to such a resistance. It would make sense. So now, we get a more or less willing Weasley to spill her guts, and if, in the worst case scenario she knows nothing, we have one more future Death Eater plant in Hogwarts."

Lucius Malfoy's mouth curled into what may generously be deemed a smile.

"Draco, don't screw this up. If you succeed, He will be most pleased, and you will do the Malfoy name proud!"

With a pop, his head disappeared from the fire.

Draco and Blaise exchanged looks of barely disguised delight.

"If this succeeds you'll be initiated," Draco said smiling.

"We just can't screw this up," Blaise replied frowning in thought.

"We won't," Draco reassured him.

"I'm seriously worried about you Draco, if we screw this up I lose nothing, but you, you lose everything. Why don't we let someone else take this over?"

"After all we've done- sit back and let someone else hog the glory? Not a chance! I thought you wanted this?"

"I do but...maybe...maybe the stakes are too high."

"I don't believe this," Draco said, "You've gone soft!"

"No!" Blaise said indignantly. "Maybe I just woke up and realized we're in over our heads."

"You've gone soft," Draco repeated.

"Are you listening to me?" Blaise demanded, "I think we're in over our heads. This isn't normal, it's not normal to have to worry about all this. All the other 6th years are worrying about N.E.W.T.s and their future careers and here we are doing...this? Haven't you ever wanted...something more?"

"More?" Draco echoed.

"Yeah," Blaise said, his voice enthused, "Haven't you ever just wanted to get away from it all? Settle down, start a family, find a job with an honest wage? Work hard and come home to a loving wife and an adoring family? Teach your son how to play Quidditch? It would be a humble life but damn it – it'd be satisfying."

"You've not just gone soft, you've gone mad- stark raving mad."

"Doesn't that sound nice though?" Blaise asked him desperately.

"I guess it sounds nice...but it's not logical! Look, we Slytherin are always getting screwed-it's just us against the world. We have to fight tooth and nail for each millimeter of success. Success just doesn't happen to us, we have to earn it. As for that happiness crap, it doesn't even factor into the equation! It's a bum rap but that's life. Where the hell did you get these stupid ideas from? You're starting to sound like a goddamn Hufflepuff! Is it Pansy? I don't even know what you see in that girl. I'm starting to worry about you Blaise, this is getting ridiculous. Some days I think you might even be in love with the girl," he shuddered.

"Draco, it seems less and likely that you will ever find anything remotely resembling love."

"Love," Draco sneered," Love is for the weak. A hindrance's what it is. Why would I ever _want_ that? Blaise, you of all people should know that love is the most easily exploited emotion. Take Precious Potter for example, I know for a fact that we will be using his blind love for those precious friends of his to manipulate him."

Blaise shook his head sadly, "Draco my old friend, I pity you. I only hope that in the unlikely event that love ever has you in her throes you will not fight but instead surrender willingly."

"Look Blaise snap the fuck out of it! You've got me seriously worried. You're sudden flight of fancy is really spooking me! I need you now more than ever. Tell me right now if you feel that this...whatever the hell it is that's taken hold of you, will interfere wit our ability to complete this job? Are you fully behind this? I don't need to remind you how crucial this is for me. Not to mention you! Don't forget I've got my ass on the line backing you as it is. I swore up and down that you were the type of person we want in our ranks! Don't go all mushy on me now. So do you feel capable of continuing this?

Blaise sighed and said, "Draco you know that I'd never fail you. I'm fully capable of continuing, Brother," he said solemnly putting up his right hand.

Draco placed his own palm against Blaise's, "Brother," he replied.

Had it really been five years since he and Blaise had become blood brothers?

Draco's mind delved back instantly to that night five years ago.

The small black boy had been the only other boy sorted into Slytherin- Crabbe and Goyle didn't count in his book. Draco had approached the boy and they'd immediately connected. They both were an only child and each had had a lonely childhood.

One night they both found themselves awake and feeling particularly alone. Each had admitted a desire to have had a brother growing up, it had been Blaise who had suggested they become blood brothers. Neither had been sure exactly how one went about doing that so they followed Blaise's recollection of such a ceremony in a book.

They had used a knife and first Draco had nicked Blaise's right palm then Blaise had done the same to Draco's left palm. They had joined hands and had whispered "Brother" solemnly.

Whether or not that had been the correct method it didn't matter, they were now blood brothers, and neither, they vowed, would ever have to be alone.

It had been rather corny Draco thought later reflecting upon the event. Yet it had always given him a thrill to think he had an honest-to-goodness brother. They had been inseparable ever since though they had told no one about the night. It had always served as a reminder, whenever rifts should arise, as they always seemed to do, one or the other would raise his palm. It was the sign of their brotherhood.

A knock at the door broke the spell. Draco walked to the door, wondering who the heck it was. He opened the door to reveal a flustered Weasley.

"Weasel?" He said perplexed.

"This is for you," she said thrusting a piece of parchment at him.

He took it and looked up to demand an explanation but she was gone.

"What did she give you?" Blaise asked.

Draco gave him the paper and Blaise read it with much amusement.

_"Reasons I HATE Malfoy" _

_1. He's an arrogant git_

_2. He's a Death Eater_

_3. He's a Malfoy_

_4. He's cruel_

_5. He's obsessed with wizarding blood and consumed with hatred towards Mudbloods_

_6. He's ruthless_

_7. He has no conscience_

_8. He has no morals_

_9. He's full of himself_

_10. He treats girls terribly_

_11. He has a huge ego _

_12. He's a bastard_

_13. The whole school hates him_

_14. He makes people's lives miserable_

"What's so amusing?" Draco snapped.

"Well this is good-she wrote down the reasons she hates you. That means she needed to reinforce them, meaning she's starting to fall for you. Plus this is perfect, if you just treat her nicely and do a few of the other things on the list she'll fall for you."

"Why do I have to be nice to the stupid Weasel," Draco sighed.

"That's another thing-you ought to call her by her first name."

"I don't even know her first name. She's a Weasel that's good enough for me."

_"Her name is Ginny, God I'm starting to think that maybe she's onto something."_

* * *

Ginny lay on her bed gazing up at the ceiling. At the time it had seemed like such a good idea to give Malfoy the list but now it seemed like a petty childish thing to do. She'd made a fool of herself. He would taunt her, quoting the reasons no doubt. Still, it had been good to get down a few reasons. She'd thought there would have been a ton more but she couldn't think of them, and for some reason the image of him fending off those Ravenclaw boys kept popping into her mind as she wrote.

She heard a knock at the door and wondered idly who it was. She eased herself off the bed and opened the door.

There stood Malfoy, how was it possible for him to always take her breath away. He looked so amazing, what with his pale hair tumbling into his gray eyes.

She shook herself from her musings and said in an irritated voice, "What?"

"I just wanted to tell you that you forgot 'Handsome devil' on your list," he said smirking.

She made as to close the door but he stuck his foot in and stopped it.

"Seriously though," he continued, "I have a few questions to ask you Ginny."

"What did you say?"

"I said I have a few questions to ask you," he repeated.

"No, I thought you said Ginny."

"Well that's your name –isn't it?" Draco replied, only with him it was an actual question.

"Well yes," she admitted, "But I never expected you to call me that."

"Do you prefer Weasley?"

"No, no," she said, "But wow."

"What?" He replied fairly indignant.

"It's just that I never thought I'd see the day...just think... a civil Malfoy-it's like..." she frowned.

"A rich Weasley?" Draco offered smirking.

Ginny started to frown then unexpectedly laughed. "Yes, a rich Weasley. So shall I call you Draco?"

"If you wish," he answered.

"You know you surprise me Mal-Draco...you're not like anyone else."

"I can say the same for you," he pointed out.

"So is this the start of a beautiful friendship?" Ginny asked, her smile mocking.

"You tell me," Draco smirked, pushing her against the door and kissing her roughly.


	9. The Usual Suspects

AN: Sorry for the length between updates...

Well thanks so much to:

louey31- Yep I'm still trying to keep them all in character to the best of my ability...thanks for reviewing louey31! It made my day. As for more witty banter etc., this might not be the chapter but I think the next chapter will (ch. 10 tentatively called "Fall For Me")

LunarianPrincess-Thanks so much...wow...you think my story is entrancing? I thought it was going pretty lousy to tell you the truth...anyway thank you so much I'm so glad that you are enjoying my fic enough to leave such a sweet/enthusiastic review!

Dedicated to louey31 and LunarianPrincess

Note about this chapter: It's a little slow (for example there is little in regards to funny comments etc.) but it's absolutely essential to pretty much answering questions...while the source from which this is all confirmed may be faulty e.g. Blaise Zabini's surmisings. The other characters will proceed under this assumption (what he believes the people who were actually trying to break in were after) so whether or not it is true the other characters (Draco, Ginny) will believe it...but I leave the reader up to making their own decisions/opinions.

Another Note: I'm being a total brat but I love to hear what people think about my chapters. I'm in no way requiring you review but it helps a lot to hear what people enjoy in my writing and what needs to be improved through your critiquing I hope to become a better writer so it means a lot to me to get constructive criticism (like Paprika30 always gives me)

Disclaimer: Yada yada I don't own any rights to Harry Potter (I tried to bargain with them – rights to only Draco Malfoy + Ginny so I could make them a canon couple but _nooooo_ they didn't want my $30.) Don't own any rights to "The Usual Suspects" which is an amazing

Another FINAL note: At one point I say that Pansy friends with Pavarti Patil...it is a Canon fact that in the first book Pansy calls Pavarti by her first name (when she's like "Ooh sticking up for Longbottom? Never thought_ you'd_ like fat little crybabies, Pavarti.") Well Ok...so that doesn't exactly spell friendship and most likely the use of Pavarti instead of Patil (as the Slytherins are apt to refer to anyone they consider below them by their last name or at least that's my belief) is nothing more than a way to distinguish the twin but I've decided for my fic to make them friends.

* * *

Ginny broke the kiss, "This is ridiculous, what do you want to talk about." 

Draco passed a hand through his hair; an endearing nervous habit Ginny thought then realized with horror that she'd just connected Draco Malfoy with endearing- two words that should never be linked.

"Look how do I say this? I want to know what the heck these thieves were after. We are accused of a crime and we know nothing about what exactly we were supposed to be stealing."

"Well..." Ginny said, biting her lip in thought.

How could she have possibly have forgotten about the crime she was being ostracized for? It was all Draco's fault...their snogs had forced any other thoughts from her head. It was inane but she was gradually getting used to letting go of her inhibitions and plunging head first, into whatever came her way. Just think, last Friday she and Draco had been at each other's throats, now they were...well it was in a quite different way. They were even addressing each other by their first name for crying out loud! So much had changed since last Friday. Last Friday, the phrase tugged something in her mind. Last Friday, last Friday, last Friday, what the hell had happened last Friday? She'd gotten detention and then of course Draco had made some jibe about her parents being too busy begging to put food on the table to teach her any manners. No wait, she'd been doing something...oh! She'd been listening at the door, not purposefully of course but she'd overheard something. Now what was it? Who'd said it? Oh, yes. It was McGonagall and Snape talking about- what were they talking about? Something...something hidden in Snape's room. What could it have been? Oh...why couldn't she remember? It was terribly important!

Suddenly Snape's voice low and urgent filled her head, "But how did they find out about the prophesy?"

"Of course," Ginny said aloud.

"What?"

"Well I think I figured out what they were after."

"Tell me," Draco urged her.

"Well I'm not sure what it was about, the prophesy that is, but McGonagall said something along the lines of 'Someone tried to break into my office and it's no longer safe here.' So Snape replied, 'But how did they find out about the prophesy?' McGonagall didn't know but told him to safeguard it in his own office."

"So any ideas of what the prophesy is about?" Draco asked, unable to contain his excitement.

"I don't know – you interrupted before I could possibly hear what it was about," Ginny reminded him.

"Well it would have to be something huge for them to hide it in Hogwarts," Draco said, ignoring her, "Wonder what it could possibly be?"

"I'm more concerned with who was actually behind these break-ins."

"Right," Draco said, frowning. "Hey let's go talk to Blaise-he's really smart. I bet he could make a great guess at what the prophesy concerns and who would be trying to get at it. Stay here a second," he ordered, then without waiting for a reply he was off.

In a few minutes, he was back with a tall black boy.

"This is Blaise Zabini," Draco said.

"Hi, I'm Ginny."

"Pleasure to meet you," he said solemnly, then turned to Draco and said, "What's this about a prophesy?"

Draco briefed him and the other boy looked thoughtful.

"Well?" Draco prompted him.

"From what you're saying this prophesy seems like it would be very important to Dumbledore. That's the obvious factual part. Now we must delve into mere hunches. Something so important it had to be brought to Hogwarts for protection. The most valuable and most zealously guarded prophesies foretell someone's death. Therefore, I would hazard a guess that that's what this prophecy is about. I doubt it would foretell Dumbledore's own death- it would be more beneficial to him to destroy such a prophesy. Thus, I come to only one conclusion and if it is correct the list of suspects would be vast. Can you guess?"

"Harry's death," Ginny said instantly.

"The Dark Lord's demise," Draco said at the same time.

"Ginny, that was a good guess and it might very well be true but if I were Dumbledore I wouldn't keep such a prophesy. No sense in leaving something around that could spell the doom of Harry Potter. No, if I was Dumbledore I'd keep safe a prophesy about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Well I'd guess it would contain information leading to his downfall. If I had to reason why he'd keep such a prophesy I'd take a stab in the dark and say he was saving it for Harry Potter."

Draco groaned, "If this is true, and I've never known Blaise to be wrong, then about, oh only half the school would have a reason to try and get their hands on this prophesy."

"Let's make a list of the most likely suspects," Blaise suggested, grabbing a quill and parchment.

"Harry Potter," Draco said with a sneer.

"Draco Malfoy," Ginny fired back, glaring at Draco.

"Ginny Weasley," Draco said, smiling coldly.

"Vincent Crabbe!"

"Ron Weasley!"

"Gregory Goyle!"

"Hermione Granger!"

"Neville Longbottom," Ginny said sadly.

"Blaise Zabini," Draco said in a queer voice.

"Cho Chang."

"Pansy Parkinson."

"OK, OK," Blaise said waving his hands in mock defeat, "I think we've got plenty to start on."

"So how do we do this," Ginny said, inspecting the list.

"Yes, she may have a point," Draco said dryly, "I hardly think Harry'll tell us the truth if we ask him."

"What makes you think Harry's responsible?" Ginny snapped.

"Oh dear me, how could I forget- I was talking about 'Darling Harry'."

"You're just as much a suspect as Harry," Ginny retorted, her face crimson.

"As are you," Draco reminded her.

"Really," Blaise interjected, "You two are leaping at each other's throats with total abandon." He dug his elbow into Draco, "Behave," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"Look," Blaise said, talking normally once more, "How about we split up the list, I'll take care of all the people in Gryffindor. I'll have Pansy ask Pavarti who wasn't in their house at the time. Draco should take care of establishing the alibis of all the Slytherins and look into whether Ginny should be considered a suspect. Ginny I want you to do the same for me and Draco."

"What about Cho?" Ginny objected.

"Oh, I'll do her too," Blaise said.

"Ok," was Ginny's reply.

- - - -

Both boys left and Ginny heaved a sigh. Some things never changed- here she was in a different House, with a different set of people (different being an understatement of course) and yet she was still being given the easiest tasks. Granted of course she was overreacting, Ginny knew that it made sense to have Blaise take care of all the Gryffindors. After all, his girlfriend Pansy got along surprisingly well with Pavarti Patil, it would be no trouble at all for her to ascertain the needed information through one of their numerous chats. It was equally obvious that Draco would be more suited to extracting the information on the Slytherins themselves, as he was one of their own while she was a mere outsider. Still, it bothered her; she had thought that in Slytherin, everything would be different, yet somehow things had barely changed. She giggled suddenly, how furious would Ron, Harry and Draco be to hear that they were rather alike, in one aspect at least.

So what did Draco mean to her she wondered. Did their switch to a first name basis signify a change in their relationship? Did this mean they were now friends? Friends? Malfoy? Rather, Draco. He couldn't be a friend she argued, though she gave no reason. If they were not friends then what was he to her? He was an associate of course. As for the bursts of passion between them, that was nothing but pent-up emotion. It was merely frustration culminating in such flashes of ardor- _wasn't it? _

- - - -

"Blaise why the hell are we on the list of suspects?" Draco asked, furious. "For that matter why the hell did we make a bloody list in the first place?" He scowled furiously at Blaise.

"Once again I see we're gonna be playing catch-up for a second, eh Draco?" Blaise said smirking (insufferably Draco thought).

Draco ground his teeth, "Look Know-it-all, tell me before I smash your smarmy little face in."

"Draco you really ought to do something about that temper of yours," Blaise tutted.

Draco cracked his knuckes.

"OK, calm down, I'll tell you but you know, I was serious about your temper. Anyway, we're not really going to take this seriously, we'll pretend to ask around and then tell her something along the lines of, 'Oh what a coincidence, it seems Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were nowhere to be found the night in question. They _could_ have been snogging in the astronomy tower or maybe they were hiding in the shadows near Snape's office, cursing as you two successfully bungled their plan'."

"So we're gonna frame Potter and the Mudblood?" Draco asked excitedly.

"We could, in fact it's a rather good idea to pick those two, she hates them –it'll just propel her that much more into our grasp."

Draco hit on a snag, "But what if she comes to the conclusion that one of us was behind it?"

Blaise's face darkened, "Well you'll just to win her over before that happens- won't you?"


	10. Fall For Me

AN: Sorry this chapter has taken forever to write. Today I finally just sat down and wrote it. It's done (this chapter not the whole story...I wish...) I hope that people review because this chapter took forever to write and I'm looking to spend a hard 2 hours typing it up. Probably more. IT's 7 pages in Microsoft Words that's a heck of a lot of typing...it would be amazing to hear reviews.

Anyway I'd love to hear reviews!

HyperSquishy- You got that right. They're pretty awful but they're Slytherins...as for Ginny well she has the unfortunate disposition of a Gryffindor although she seems to be able to make the switch pretty well.

caillion- Thanks a lot. It means a ton to me to have people compliment my story. It makes me want to get more updated, faster.

louey31- Yep. Those two will be found plotting a lot in this story. That's the way the Slytherins roll...anyway I'm delighted you enjoyed it. I can't say whether Ginny will catch on but if she did you know she'd concoct devilishly evil plans of her own...

beyonce-85- I'm so glad. Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: Yeah no claims on anything whatsoever.

* * *

Ginny lay in bed and sighed again. According to the clock next to her bed, it was 5:59 AM. She looked blearily around the room-too much silver too much green- and she felt disgusted with herself. Why had she decided to passively accept what had happened as fate? It was so unlike her! Then Harry's eyes came back to her, the disgust, the hatred, the sense of betrayal. How could she fight that? Her fate had already been decided; to rebel would only make it worse. She closed her eyes, willing herself to fall back asleep. She did not want to think about Harry, it would just make things that much worse. Her mind mocked her, refusing to let the subject of Harry drop. It had pained her beyond words to hear him accuse her of such a stupid crime. As much as she had tried to deny it, she'd never gotten over Harry. When he'd accepted rumors at truth, not even waiting to hear her side, it had shattered her. How was it possible that that boy who'd looked at her without pity, sorrow or anything, had in her first year saved her life? It was unthinkable. It left her wondering whether she'd known Harry at all.

She hadn't thought of Harry in a while and she examined her feelings. This was an exercise she'd been doing for five years now- his face would enter her mind and she'd gauge her reactions. She let Harry's face float before her and was surprised that the image of him catching a snitch or smiling at her or some such memory was replaced by the expression he'd wore asking her whether the rumors were true. She felt a wave of cynicism wash over her, everyone always believed Harry no matter the lack of necessary evidence, but with her no one even asked for her side of the story.

She heard Draco's voice in her mind, "Oh dear me, how could I forget- I was talking about 'Darling Harry'." As she smiled at the memory Ginny realized two things – one, she no longer had a crush on Harry, in fact at this rate she might very well soon hate the Boy-Who-Lived; two, what Draco said seemed to be coming true, "You seem to be getting more like us every day." She didn't know how it could be, but the Slytherin boy seemed to be growing on her. Possibly.

A sharp rap on her door jerked her from her musings, "Ginny, get up," Draco said tersely, "It's time for breakfast."

Her entering the Great Hall surrounded by Slytherins set off a buzz of gossip, she could see about three dozen heads turn her way then quickly look elsewhere. She felt the whole room's eyes on her and it made her terribly self-conscious. All she wanted to do was run and hide. She felt physically sick. Suddenly a cool hand gripped her arm; she looked up to see Draco. Was he reassuring her? Steadying her? Whatever he was doing, she took it to heart. With Draco's arm reassuringly on her, she felt a different set of nerves, ones that had nothing to do with the crowd scrutinizing her.

He led her to the Slytherin table and she sat beside him, for once profoundly grateful towards the blond boy. Ginny looked at the food in front of her and felt nauseas.

"I don't want any," she said when Draco graciously offered her pancakes.

She looked glumly down at her plate while those around her happily ate. She had assumed that she would find mild acceptance in Slytherin but only three Slytherins had spoken more than five words to her.

"Eat some toast," Draco said, urging a piece on her.

"I'm not hungry," she protested as he forced it into her hand.

After being practically force-fed a piece of toast breakfast was over and class was to begin. Ginny wound her way to Divination, finding a pouf very far from any other student. She noticed that the other Gryffindors stayed well away from her. It was depressing.

On the way to Care of Magical Creatures two Gryffindor boys, both in her year, knocked her to the ground causing her books to fly in every direction. People snickered and no one even bent to help, many deliberately treaded on her papers.

She bent over to start collecting her scattered belongings when she heard a cold voice say, "Pick them up." She looked up to see Draco towering over the two Gryffindors who suddenly did not look quite so cocky. "Pick them up immediately," Draco commanded imperiously, wand raised.

The boys flung themselves onto the ground quickly gathering Ginny's things in a manner that was almost comical; but Ginny did not laugh. Draco looked at her but she avoided his gaze, disgust rising in her throat like bile. The boys shoved the books on Ginny and fled, shooting Draco looks of absolute terror.

"Thank you, Draco," Ginny said frostily.

The boy blinked in surprise, "What?" he demanded. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't need help you know, I could've sorted it out on my own," she replied heatedly.

A look of hurt flickered across Draco's face to be replaced almost instantaneously by anger. "Fine Ginny," he spat. "I see you're insistent on self-reliance, or perhaps, could it be you're ashamed to be seen with Slytherins? I thought you were different but I was kidding myself, you Gryffindors are all the same."

He stalked off and Ginny cringed in guilt. How could she have been so cruel? Maybe Draco was right, maybe she did consider herself superior. He had only been defending her, what had made her blow up in his face? Defending her, well that was it wasn't it? She was sick of people defending her – Mum, Ron, Fred, George, Charlie, Harry, Hermione and now Draco Malfoy.

Oh, it was so stupid; Draco Malfoy wasn't anything like Ron-embarrassing, over-protective, abandoning her for Hermione and Harry. No, she thought smirking; Draco would never abandon her for Hermione and Harry. Her guilt swelled and when she started off to Care of Magical Creatures her eyes were troubled.

She never noticed Zabini scrutinizing her expression and withdrawing with a smile.

-- - -

"She's feeling guilty," Blaise reported to Draco in a whisper. His eyes never moved from the ghost Binns. If anyone had looked at him, they would only have seen an apparently rapt student, an appearance he was quite convincing at.

"She ought," Draco replied fiercely. "The Weasel is an ungrateful wench."

"What were you doing anyway, why were you helping her?" Blaise asked idly.

"I dunno, I guess I was just playing the role- why? It didn't make things worse, did it?"

"No, this'll probably make her that much easier to win over. Speaking of which, do you have a plan?"

"To do what?" Draco asked, flicking his wand and causing Ron's Potion essay, which he'd been frantically writing for the last fifteen minutes, to burst into flames.

Ron's yelp of horror woke the slumbering class who regarded the smoldering parchment with vapid expressions before resuming their naps.

Draco chuckled cruelly and turned to Blaise, "But in seriousness, how the hell do I win over this Weasel? She's like immune to my charm."

Blaise rolled his eyes dramatically, "Are you honestly telling me that you don't know how to win over a pitiful former Gryffindor?"

"I don't bother winning girls over, they just naturally fall for me," Draco said defensively, shaking his pale hair out of his eyes, well aware that girls adored this. His movement caught the attention of half the female population in the room.

"You're incredibly thick, Pretty Boy," Blaise said grinning. "OK, when she apologizes tell her some bull about how that's why you don't like helping people. She'll lap it up, you also ought to put on the troubled soul act later in your room, saying how you're afraid of the future and crap like that. Girls dig that. If you start to lose her just be yourself," Blaise paused and smirked, "No wait, that'll probably make it worse."

- - - -

Ginny endured her morning classes through sheer will power. It was agonizing; she endured the taunts and snide remarks, the pranks, and the rumors with surprising grace. She could have crumbled and burst into tears, indeed that was what everyone wanted and expected. Instead, she stood tall and proud, reminding herself sternly that neither Gryffindors nor Slytherins cried.

So when Michael Corner told her that he was glad he'd never shagged a Death Eater sympathizer, she just grinned and replied that she had the unfortunate luck of having had a boyfriend who didn't know what to do with his tongue let alone his genitals. The boy's face had flushed an unusual shade of crimson. However, when a small Hufflepuff third year asked Ginny what it was like to shag Draco Malfoy, she faltered.

God- was this what people thought? Well it must look very suspicious she granted, after all, less than a week ago, she'd hated his guts and now, as far as the rest of Hogwarts could tell, they were inseparable. Whether it was true or not didn't matter. Still, it stung that everyone thought she was loose, didn't they know better? Yet a part of her argued that as far as they knew, she was a Death Eater sympathizer, something that they'd never dreamed of associating with her up until now. So naturally it would, as far as they were concerned, cause everything they thought they knew about her to come under question. For not the first time Ginny wondered where the hell term Death Eater sympathizer came from.

In a startling burst of clarity, it hit her that the rest of the school viewed her as Draco Malfoy's whore. This thought was so disgusting that she lost her appetite entirely.

- - - -

"Where the hell is she?" Draco demanded.

He glared around the Great Hall, as if daring someone to answer. Only one person didn't flinch under his furious gaze.

"Probably up in her room," Blaise said calmly.

"You said she was supposed to be a guilt-racked mess! Skipping lunch doesn't seem like something a person who's racked with guilt would do!"

"I'm just as confused as you are," Blaise confessed.

"Damnit Blaise, we can't let this fall apart just because this girl suddenly decides to have issues!"

"I know," Blaise said wearily, "Look let's go back to the dorms and figure out what's wrong and then we'll decide what to do."

Ginny heard the steps outside her door but she ignored it. Even when they began to talk in a whisper, she did not feel the slightest inclination to determine their identities. Only when her name was called did she bother to investigate. She opened the door to see Blaise standing there. Beside him slouched Draco who looked extremely sulky. It couldn't be more apparent to her that he didn't want to be there. No doubt, he was still angry about that morning she thought with a lurch of guilt.

"Hi Blaise, Draco," she said the latter boy's name with hesitation.

Draco acknowledged her with a slight nod of his head.

"Draco I'm so sorry," Ginny said cautiously.

He didn't deign her a response, his expression stony.

She bit her tongue for a second, and then launched into an apology. "Look, it's no excuse for what I did but I guess I'm a little sick of people sticking up for me. I'm fully capable of taking care of myself, yet no one seems to realize that."

Draco's expression was indifferent but she continued.

"I know you were just being nice and I'm truly grateful. It's...nice to know you have someone looking out for you...I guess." She felt incredibly stupid, perhaps Draco had forgotten all about the incidence, perhaps he hadn't really been sticking up for her. Maybe it was just chivalry. Somehow the idea of a chivalrous Draco Malfoy was highly amusing and she fought desperately to keep from smiling. Her lips twitched but she managed to regain her composure. Draco's silence was starting to irk her.

"Please say something," she urged him.

He closed his eyes for a second, as if seeking respite from her presence, as if he couldn't bear being near her.

"You Weasleys are so damned ungrateful," he finally said.

Ginny blinked, well their conversation was not getting off to a good start, there's a surprise. At least he was talking. That meant something – didn't it?

- - - -

"OK, just play it cool, look as if this is the last place you want to be. Let her take the initiative; don't talk until you feel she's done apologizing."

When she opened the door, Draco adopted an air of indifference, and he carefully molded his expression and his posture so that the Weasel would think he was sulking. _As if Malfoys ever sulked! _

She started to apologize almost at once, entreating him to forgive her- It was really nice of him to do that, but she was sick of people sticking up for her. Yada yada yada. As if he cared. _Nice_, he almost sneered. Malfoys weren't _nice_ either. Still, it was amusing to watch the Weasel girl apologize, something that fit that family to a T. It seemed to be something of a trait in their family –always apologizing for their existence and whatnot. Subservience was to a Weasley as power was to a Malfoy...a smile tugged at his lips but he managed to quash it.

"Please say something," the girl Weasel entreated him. Her mud brown eyes filled with emotions he guessed were concern, sorrow, and all the rest of those Gryffindor emotions.

_God but it was pathetic. _

He closed his eyes, not wanting to have to look at those eyes, they were bothering him for some reason.

He opened his eyes and following Blaise's instructions said, "You Weasleys are so damned ungrateful."

He fancied her mouth dropped open for a second but it might have been his mind. She seemed to recover but did not reply. They truly were subservient. It was rather disappointing, what had happened? Last Friday she'd been so vibrant, her fury and hatred for him positively undiluted. Now she was coming to regard him as a friend, no doubt. Friends with a Weasley- as if!

How amusing would it be to stomp on all her beliefs and tell her the truth? To watch her face crumple as she tried to rationalize things and found she couldn't. To watch those brown eyes fill with tears. Oh, it would be positively delightful. But he had a job to do right now so he had no time to dwell on such flights of fancy.

"You know, that's why I don't do _nice_ things," he emphasized the word, letting his lips curl into a sneer around its syllable. "It's because of people like you – ungrateful...wenches," he took great satisfaction in the way she elicited a gasp from her salmon-colored lips at his words.

She took a deep breath most likely trying to curb that Weasley temper. Come on, he urged her mentally, blow your temper, curse me off, do whatever. Instead, she bit her bottom lip with her pearly teeth, infuriating Draco. How could she possibly be a Weasley- she wasn't doing anything, he was hurling abuse at her and she was taking it in stride! She was simply letting him vent his anger. He looked to Blaise for an explanation or something, but the boy was gone. What the hell? He turned back to Ginny; he couldn't believe she was related to Weasel King! He scowled at her; she was being almost as insufferably patient and calm as that filthy Mudblood Granger! That brother of hers, Ron, would have cursed him into oblivion by now...or rather made some sad attempt at such. The boy had never been very good at magic, Draco thought smirking, his Weasley genes kicking in, no doubt. However, this girl, she could work her way around a hex with unexpected skill. He remembered all too clearly that Ginny had a mean Bat-Bogey Hex.

She was not falling for him using Blaise's techniques, so he had to resort to his own methods.

"Course you can't possibly expect a Weasel to know or practice any laws of the gentry," he said.

A pink tinge touched her pale cheeks, evidence of a barely reined-in temper.

Ah, Draco thought with satisfaction, that one did it.

"Are you about done?" Ginny said, her words clipped and devoid of emotion.

"No," Draco snapped, pressing his lips to hers firmly, possessively.


	11. Shades of Gray

Author's Note: Well it seems reviews have tapered off...not that I can blame you. It must honestly seem as if I forgot about this fic...I haven't updated in what feels like ages, I started another fic (it's humor section called "When Harry Meets Mary Sue"), which is like against the rules for me. The honest truth is I've been thinking about this fic everyday since last Tuesday when I sat down and wrote chapter 10. All week (and I mean EVERY DAY) I've been like "ehh...chapter 11. I've got to do it." But I kept putting it off, not because I didn't know how it was going to work, because I had it all sketched out roughly in my mind, but because, well I'm lazy + school junior year + swimming...so yeah. It's been busy. Jam-packed to tell the truth. Anyway, I finally sat down today and finished writing chapter 11. It's done.

beyonce-85-Sorry it took me so long to update. I'm so glad you reviewed. I agree that Draco is incredibly hot. He's my favorite character in Harry Potter and my friends think I'm crazy for it.

Slim Shady- Oh...you hit on the big question in this story. I would tell you but it would ruin the fic. We just have to wonder about that...but I promise that it'll be answered...if not in the story I'll answer it in an authors note.

louey31-Hahaha thanks...it's awesome that you review for me. It means a ton.

HyperSquishy- Yep...I guarantee more of that'll happen in later chapters...anyway thanks so much for the review!

Disclaimer: No more do I own Harry Potter than I own the cliché that the world is made up not of black and white but of shades of gray.

* * *

"It didn't work," Draco said dully.

"Didn't work," Blaise echoed.

"I just said that, didn't I?" Draco snapped.

"OK, well I'm bewildered- did you screw it up?"

"Screw it up? Me? Are you deaf? You're plan didn't work!" Draco said.

"How could it not work? It was perfect?"

"Look I don't care what you think," Draco replied irate. "It didn't work, period."

"OK, so that didn't work, but trust me, telling her a sob story about how you didn't want to become a Death Eater, how you're afraid of the future, etc. it'll definitely work."

"That's what you said before," Draco couldn't help pointing out.

"Yeah, but this time it's different," Blaise insisted. "Besides, I bet she could just be playing hard to get."

Draco blinked, the logic that Blaise used (or didn't use, for the matter) to arrive at this point escaped him.

* * *

Ginny was sick of it, sick of the way Draco was treating her, sick of the time she'd spent analyzing his motives (if he indeed had any), sick of the fact that she might actually care. It was so dumb, how had she let herself be effected by Ferret boy anyway? It was so unlike like her to...well no use reviving that old rhetoric. She had to face the fact that times changed, hard as it might be to believe, she seemed well on her way to becoming a Slytherin. It seemed pointless to pretend otherwise. After the way in which her fellow Gryffindors had treated her, how could she possibly act as if it didn't affect her. It was a waste of time and energy pretending that wasn't so. Really, how could people possibly expect her to put up with the abuse she'd handled and _not _make drastic decisions- like becoming friends with Draco Malfoy. Not for the first time, Ginny wondered exactly what Draco's motives were. Certainly not love or even lust, well whatever his reasons Ginny found her own willingness far more troubling. Why exactly was she so compliant to Draco Malfoy? She wasn't in love with him, it had to be that he was just an amazing kisser. Yeah, that was it. Wasn't it?

The second half of her day was no better than the first. Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology- the three classes she hated most. Well Charms wasn't that bad, she used to rather enjoy the subject, but Transfiguration and Herbology she couldn't stand. The classes passed with agonizing slowness. Ginny couldn't pay attention at all in classes, or even fake it for that matter. She stared openly at the clock, willing it to move. She watched in disbelief as the minute hand shuttered with obvious reluctance into place. The second hand, which she watched intently, as if it's trip around the clock's face actually meant something, seemed have settled into a more sedate leisurely pace than normal.

Finally, almost unbelievably, Herbology ended and she raced from the classroom. She breathed a sigh of relief, fresh air filled her lungs, and she was free for the moment. All too acutely aware of the stares she was receiving, she found solace in the library until dinner.

She stood by the door to the Great Hall, waiting for Draco...or Blaise. Finally she spotted the blond boy, but she hesitated, it still didn't feel right, approaching Malfoy voluntarily.

"Ginny, hey Weasel!" Draco called gruffly.

She looked up at him, suppressing the thrill of exhilaration that sped through her body as he said her name.

They sat together, with Blaise across from them; small talk was rather frowned upon in Slytherin so a peaceful silence reined. Ginny chased her food around her plate, toying with her fork and not eating. She didn't know why but she wasn't hungry in the least.

Draco shot her an annoyed look.

"What?" She asked.

"Why don't you eat?" He snapped.

Ginny looked surprised, "I'm not hungry."

"Damnit Weasley! You've only eaten a piece of toast all day, maybe you're used to going hungry at that hovel you call a home, but you need to eat."

Ginny looked up at him, puzzled, his face was flushed with anger and possibly something she couldn't place.

"Alright," she said, spearing a pork chop with her fork, "I'll eat."

* * *

Ginny sat in Draco's room, fiddling with the silken bed sheets.

"Draco," she paused.

"Hmm?"

"Never mind."

"Did you ever wondered what you wanted to do after Hogwarts?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Umm..." Ginny replied, the turn of conversation taking her by surprise. "I dunno, I always wanted to..." she turned red, "It's stupid."

Draco moved closer, "Tell me!"

"No, you'll laugh."

"Will not," he replied indignantly.

"Yes you will," she insisted.

"Oh come on," he cajoled.

"Fine, promise not to laugh?"

"Of course," he said.

"I...well, my brother works with dragons and I always wanted to do that," she mumbled.

"Dragons?" Draco echoed.

"Yeah," Ginny said, finally meeting his eyes, her own, challenging, as if daring him to even try and laugh.

He shrugged, "That's better than me."

"Why, what do you want to do?"

Draco gave her an odd, tight smile, "What _can_ I do with this," he gestured to his right forearm.

Ginny remembered, with a sudden jolt, that the boy across from her was a Death Eater. It was amazing, no, frightening really, how easily she forgot.

"I guess it sort of takes away any chance of working at, say the Ministry or something," Ginny said weakly, attempting to make light of the situation, then immediately cursing herself for ever having said something so stupid.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway, I have more than enough money to be able to never have to work a day in my life."

Ginny scowled at that, was he once more throwing her financial status in her face? Or was he simply too ignorant to know how incredibly snobby he'd just sounded.

"I guess I handed over any chance at having a future when I took the Mark," Draco continued, looking past Ginny, into the crackling fire.

It was odd, they had never spoken about his Mark, it was an unwritten rule in their relationship. Once again, Ginny wondered exactly what their relationship was.

"Why did you take the Mark anyway?" Ginny asked before she could stop herself.

Draco smiled slightly at the fire and spoke in a detached voice. "Why? Well, didn't everyone expect me too? Was it honestly that big of a surprise to you, discovering it? I'm a Malfoy; I was just living up to everyone's expectations."

"You didn't have to, you know, you could've simply said 'No'!" Ginny answered with unexpected fierceness.

The curious smile returned to Draco's lips.

"Could I?" He asked, "Could I have said 'No'?"

"Of course," Ginny replied, confused, "You always have a choice."

Draco gave a short laugh then returned to solemnly studying the flames. "I have no doubt that you, in my place would have told them what for. However, you know, not everyone is as brave as you are. You're a Gryffindor after all, and for good reason."

Ginny blinked, had Draco just admitted to being a coward. Well he'd certainly called her brave. The compliment warmed her. "I'm not as brave as you think," she said slowly, "Didn't I give in without a fight when people started the Death Eater sympathizer crap?"

"But that's different," Draco said gently, "What if it had been You-Know-Who asking you to join him, and your mother displaying a rare pride, you're father smiling at you for once? Your parents finally deciding you were worthy of being their son, that wouldn't have mattered to you. You would've told them exactly what you thought of all of them."

"You really think so?" Ginny asked.

Draco tore his eyes away from the blaze, focusing his intense gaze on her instead. "Wouldn't you?"

"I...dunno. Maybe before, but now...I'm all mixed up, everything used to be black and white but now I've finally realized that the majority of what used to be black is really just shades of gray."

Draco frowned, "Don't be too sure, your eyes can be deceiving."

"No," Ginny said slowly, "I used to think that you and all of Slytherin fit into the bad category, I used to imagine myself and my family as good, and even went so far as to believe we were in the right. Now I realize that me and you, we're merely shades of gray."

"I'm not what you think I am!" Draco snapped, "You don't know me!"


	12. Draco's Disappearance

AN: I'm so sorry it took this long, I can't believe how hectic my life has been. I'm sorry nonetheless for making people wait...I finally finished this chapter last night.

I'm sorry/happy (can't decide) to announce that this story is much more than half over. In fact, it will only consist of a few more chapters. Yeah...that's...well for me that's not good cause I like my story but I also have the difficulty of deciding how to word the ending...plus the sure to be flames that will probably mark it...

louey31- Thanks so much, I'm glad that you understand how much stress school can be...it's been a horrible first few weeks. A month already...it moves so slow.

Slim Shady-Yeah, you're right. He seems to have developed something of a conscience. Funny...thank you so much for reviewing!

Disclaimer: IF I owned the rights to any of the characters in this story I think I'd be richer than anyone's business...which I'm not...

- - - -

Ginny woke with reluctance. Shafts of sun made blazing columns of light that lit up her entire room. Through the window she could see a powder blue sky filled with puffy white clouds, it was another beautiful day. Ginny groaned and got slowly out of bed.

She noticed a tear in her pajamas that had definitely not been there before. She frowned as she examined it. Oh well. She changed and grabbed the doorknob. Then she remembered that she had locked it last night. Yet the door turned under her grip. She wrinkled her brow, she was sure she had locked it last night. Maybe not.

She spotted Blaise immediately upon arriving at the Great Hall. Draco however was nowhere to be seen.

Blaise waved Ginny over, asking her, "Ginny have you seen Draco?"

Ginny was shocked by the urgency in his voice, "No," she replied, "Not since last night."

Memories of Draco's blow up caused Ginny's expression to turn stony.

"Well if you see him, tell Draco I need to talk him," Blaise said.

"Sure," Ginny said glibly, fully intending never to speak to Draco Malfoy again.

- - -

After Transfiguration and Ancient Runes, it was time for lunch. Ginny sighed in relief. Meals were bright spots in her day. Not that she ate much, or even felt hungry, no it was simply the fact that no one at her table gaped at her, or even really looked at her much.

"Have you seen Draco today?" Blaise asked her immediately.

So unexpected was his question that Ginny was rendered temporarily speechless. She recovered sufficiently to stammer, "N-No, I don't think so." However, the note she ended on made it more a question than a statement.

Blaise frowned in response.

Well honestly, Ginny thought, exasperated; did he actually think that she would be acutely aware of Draco Malfoy's presence? The fact was, what with classes and her own problems, Draco Malfoy hadn't entered her brain since breakfast. Why was Blaise so worried anyway? Draco was plenty capable of taking care of himself.

"Maybe he's sick," Ginny suggested, "Did you check Pomfrey's?"

"No, no," Blaise said, running a hand through his short hair, mirroring Draco's own habit. "Draco'd never willingly visit Pomfrey- not now."

Ginny remembered all too clearly the incident with the thorn. She blushed violently at the memory.

"Maybe he's in his dorm- playing hooky or whatnot," Ginny offered.

"Maybe," Blaise said, utterly unconvinced.

Where could Draco be? Ginny mused. Then wondered why she even cared.

Following lunch came afternoon classes- Care of Magical Creatures and Potions. Ginny did not see Draco despite a heightened sense of awareness.

In Potions Ginny sat dutifully measuring salamander blood for her Strengthening Solution when she noticed McGonagall enter the dungeons. Interested, she watched as Professor Snape swept over to McGonagall. Heads together, they began to converse in an undertone. Ginny noticed that Snape and McGonagall kept sneaking her looks. Her curiosity thus inflamed, Ginny performed a magnifying charm, now she was privy to the conversation.

"Severus, what is it?"

"Minerva," Snape said. Ginny thought she detected a tremor in his voice but she must've imagined it. "Someone broke into my office last night. I don't know how, but they did. They tore it apart."

A fly buzzed about Ginny's head and she swatted at it. "Did they get the prophesy," McGonagall asked sharply.

"No," Snape said, "I've taken to carrying it."

"I can't believe this happened," McGonagall sighed, "Well at least we know who's behind it."

McGonagall shot Ginny a furtive glance. Ginny barely managed to avert her eyes back to her strengthening potion.

Her thoughts raced. Someone had broken into Snape's office. They hadn't found the prophesy however. How could anyone break into Snape's office? Dark magic was the only way that could be achieved. Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as if a cold breeze had struck her there. A chill passed through her. Why had the thought of dark magic provoked such a reaction? Ginny however still felt like a cold wind was hitting her. She turned and saw Peeves.

"Stop that, Peeves," she snapped.

The poltergeist cackled, swooping at her. "Ooo, the widdle Weasel is cranky! What's the matter? Not broken into enough offices?" Still laughing, Peeves proceeded to pelt her with pieces of chalk shouting, "Death Eater!"

"Enough Peeves," Snape said silkily, his tone holding something bordering amusement.

Peeves left the classroom after upturning Colin Creevey's potion on the luckless boy. Someone entered as he flew through the wall. Ginny glanced up and saw Cho Chang. The seventh year seemed perturbed although it was most likely because Snape was currently fixing her with a most malevolent glare.

"Yes?" Snape snapped coldly.

"I...uh, Dumbledore sent me to give you this," she stuttered, going red.

Snape snatched the proffered scroll from her. He glared at Cho with suspicion as he unfurled it.

Even Ginny, sitting across the room heard Snape's not-so-muttered comments "Can't see what he's thinking, giving this to a student."

Cho flushed crimson at his words.

Ginny watched Snape's eyes scan the parchment. They might've narrowed at one point but Ginny wasn't sure.

"Why're you still here?" Snape barked at Cho.

"Dumbledore s-said he...he needs to see you right now," Cho stammered.

"Very well," Snape replied. "Well you heard," now he was addressing the class at large, "Leave."

Everyone quickly packed up, eager to leave Snape's presence.

Ginny heard someone call her name she turned to see Cho.

"Look, Ginny, I heard what happened and I...well you'd never do something like this. They'll catch the real burglar and by next year it'll have all blown over."

Ginny noticed the badge Cho was wearing. She remembered belatedly that Cho was Head Girl.

"You know, Harry'll forget about it by next year."

Harry? Ginny frowned in confusion. How did Harry fit into it?

"I'm sure Harry likes you, that's probably why he's taking this so hard," Cho continued.

Ginny bit back a groan-not this again. Cho thought that she was still hopelessly in love with the Boy Who Lived. Obviously, the Head Girl dismissed most of what she'd heard about Ginny from the Hogwarts rumor mill.

Ginny managed a wane smile, ducking into the girl's room. She gripped the edge of the cold porcelain sink, peering at her reflection. She wrinkled her nose, her dull brown eyes, those ugly freckles that muddied her visage, her pale skin, practically translucent, and of course her fiery halo of hair that, much to her mounting dismay, had yet to show any hint of darkening. She sighed, conceding defeat. Upon exiting the toilets, Ginny was promptly halted by Blaise.

"So you haven't seen him either," Blaise said astutely.

"Yeah, I..."

"Haven't seen him since last night?" Blaise finished for her.

"Yeah," Ginny said.

Blaise heaved a sigh.

"I'm sure he's safe," Ginny said.

Blaise gave her an odd look, "Of course he's safe."

- - -

Ginny wandered into the library, determined to do some studying without any interruptions. However, she could not seem to focus on schoolwork. Her thoughts kept returning to the conversation between Snape and McGonagall. Who was trying to break into Snape's office, did they know what the prophesy was about? Ginny felt that they must, why else would they be searching so desperately for it? The attempt to steal the prophesy was bungled by Snape. He in fact, had taken to carrying it on him. Of course, no one knew that. Well now Ginny and McGonagall did. The prophesy, therefore, was safe enough, no one would be crazy enough to take on Professor Snape.

Ginny's eyes wandered around the library, she was searching, though she refused to admit it, for a certain bushy-haired girl and her omni-present companions. It seemed that Hermione was not, in fact, there. Madam Pince was however, and she glared at Ginny, the woman's hooked nose reminding Ginny of some sort of predatory bird. This semblance was furthered by the librarian's tendency to swoop down on miscreant students and issue harsh warnings in a high, nasally whisper. Ginny quickly averted her eyes. She spotted Cho Chang; the girl was immersed in a large, moldy-looking book in the Restricted Section. Most likely another perk of being Head Girl, Ginny thought.

Suddenly Madam Pince appeared beside Ginny, "No loitering," she said, smiling triumphantly.

"I...I," Ginny stammered.

"I'll call Filch on you," the old bird said smugly, her eyes gleaming.

"No need," Ginny said, stuffing her books into her bag, "I'm leaving."

A gloating expression appeared on the miserable woman's face. _Victory._

- - -

Back in the privacy of her own room, Ginny returned to the other problem festering in her mind. What had happened to Draco? She had left his room early yesterday evening. No one, as far as she knew, had seen him since. Something was barely evading her. Something important. What was it? Before she could remember, she fell asleep.

Sometime during the night, the pieces fell into place. Ginny woke with a start, "Malfoy" she whispered.

- - -- - -

_And yes, the magnifying charm was the same one that Blaise did to her_.


	13. Up To Snuff

AN: 2 updates in like roughly 2 weeks...I'm really getting...well not awesome but maybe just motivated. I've been working on this story for oh...about 2 months and it's kinda driving me up a wall...but at least I'm 99.5 percent sure that I know where I'm going with this...anyway drop a review it's really awesome to hear from people what they think.

Slim Shady- Unfortunately this chapter will not reveal whether Draco is evil or good but there are hints...like impossible to catch hints that WILL tell you how this story will end...especially with events that will occur in the next chapter...or at least one part of it. Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot!

louey31-THANK YOU SO MUCH! That was incredibly nice and it really made my day! Anyhow I'm so happy that you enjoyed that chapter. I'm writing chapter 14 as well and hopefully I'll have it up soon as well!

Moonyk-Well I'm glad you enjoy it enough to review. I know that the fic has a few major flaws (Kingsley's temper thing + the trio being two of them) and it is weird, but I'm just trying to do something that's hopefully a little bit out of the ordinary.

Jacc-Thank you so much! I'm writing every opportunity I get. I hope (and plan) to finish this fic well before the month ends.

Claire-Thank you so much! I'll be sure to e-mail you when I update this story.

Akalea-This chapter everything'll fall into place...or will it. I can't say...but I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: No. Rights. To. Any. Characters. In. This. Story. OK?

* * *

It was so simple, Ginny thought, how could she possibly have been so blind? Unlike herself, Draco was far from innocent. It all fit. Ginny marveled at the way everything fell into place. He was a Death Eater, of course he would want to steal a prophesy predicting the downfall of the Dark Lord. He would know the necessary dark magic to change the destination of the stairs. Hadn't he pushed on when Ginny was sure they were lost? Of course he would have been sure that he was going the right way. When they got caught she'd figured he'd refused to take a veritaserum because he might reveal he was a Death Eater. She'd never even considered it was because he was, in fact, guilty. 

Had he made her fall for him as a security measure in case she actually discovered something? That was it. Oh, how cruel and heartless! _Shades of gray indeed_, Ginny cursed herself for having been so stupid. He'd probably had a good laugh at her expense over that.

There was no chance of falling asleep now. Ginny got up and paced.

If only Draco could be caught attempting to steal the prophesy, then everyone would realize that she was innocent. Life would return to normal- or what used to be normal. Ginny reflected on her so-called friends, could she forgive them for believing she was in league with Draco? Malfoy she corrected herself. He was Malfoy now. Could she forget them? At the moment, Ginny could not conceivably see herself forgiving them but who knew, didn't time heal all wounds? She hoped that was true, right now, she couldn't help wondering if she was not perhaps mistaken about Draco being behind all this.

So she _did _care for him. Well how deliciously ironic, Ginny thought deprecatingly- former good girl Ginny Weasley in love with that bad boy Slytherin, Draco Malfoy. What a laugh that was. Especially since it was extremely unlikely that he felt anything close to what she felt. Ginny felt so stupid. She mentally berated herself.

It was so foolish; did she actually think that things would develop between them? She didn't respond to the mental barb because the answer was 'Yes'. That conversation with Draco, the same in which she foolishly said he was not evil, she really felt as if she knew him. She had assumed, naively of course, that he was confessing his deepest fears and secrets to her. Ginny slammed her fist into the wall, how stupid was she to buy into all that crap he'd doled out? Ron would've seen right through it. Oh, she truly had believed that Draco liked her, Ginny Weasley, that he felt safe revealing a side of him she hadn't known existed. She hadn't known, Ginny thought wryly, because it did not, in fact, exist.

- - - -

Ginny was brushing her hair, still damp from her bath. She was in the prefect's bathroom, despite not being one. She was past caring for such trivialities though. The shower had revitalized her, Ginny felt as if she had discarded all her worries. She smiled tentatively at the mirror- life seemed so much bright somehow. She would forget Malfoy and her brief respite into the world of Slytherin and she would return to her normal life where Harry, Hermione and Ron did not regard her with open suspicion. So wrapped up in delightful thoughts, Ginny did not notice she was not alone until the other person spoke.

"Oh, oh I'm so sorry I didn't realize someone was in here!"

Ginny's brush fell from her hand and clattered on the marble ledge. She whirled to face the intruder, a guilty expression on her face.

"Oh, Ginny! I...like I said, I didn't realize someone was here!"

It was Cho, the Head Girl herself. Oh she was so screwed. Briefly Ginny wondered what house Cho'd take points from- Slytherin or Gryffindor, not that it mattered.

"I...I...I can explain," Ginny stammered. Exactly what she could explain Ginny did not know.

"No, it's all my fault," the Head Girl said.

Ginny was beginning to get irritated, why was Cho constantly apologizing?

"I'm just leaving," Ginny said, before Cho realized and took points off. She bolted.

She heard Cho exclaim, "Oh! Ginny! Wait a second! Come back here!"

But she kept running.

- - - -

"Ginny!"

The exclamation caused her to do an about-face, her surprise (and utmost horror) at seeing Draco Malfoy was evident. However, she composed her face, adopting a docile expression instead. The image was marred only by the way her eyes darted about, as a cornered animal would thus look. That and the way she greeted him.

"Oh...hello Draco," she said, sounding more guarded then she'd intended.

Draco gave her an odd piercing look that caused Ginny to break out in a cold sweat. She was certain he saw right through her, and as he opened his mouth to speak, Ginny cringed slightly before the forth-coming words of damnation. Exactly what these damning words would be was beyond her but she was positive that they would be awful.

Instead he said, "About my outburst, I'm sorry, this is all so new, I guess I just freaked out a bit. Will you forgive me?"

He reached out to stroke her hair. His touch set her body atremble, her conviction was crumbling, all self-control she possessed seemed to choose this ill-opportune moment to desert her. Damn him! She stepped out of reach.

"Gee, I'd love to chat but boy did Professor Snape load us down with homework!"

"I'll help you," he offered, "You know I'm a whiz at Potions."

"No," she cried hastily in horror. Damn him and his Potions skills! "I mean," she continued, seeing the way his brow furrowed at her exclamation. "Well Snape would know if you were helping me. I'm not exactly up to snuff in that class if you know what I mean. He'd know something was up."

'Up to snuff', Ginny thought morosely, what the hell was she thinking evoking such an archaic expression. How incredibly embarrassing!

"At least let me give you some pointers," Draco said.

"No!" she again said it more forcefully then she intended. "I mean, how am I to learn if you insist on helping me."

It sounded lame even to her.

"Well...when you're done, could you come over, I really would like someone to talk to...someone besides Blaise."

"Oh," Ginny said, "Oh, I'd l-love to, but...but I have a _ton_ of homework from McGonagall, they aren't kidding when they say 5th year is hell." She laughed nervously.

Draco's eyes narrowed slightly, with what was either impatience or skepticism. "Well then after that."

"Oh man," Ginny said, pretending to stifle a yawn, "I was actually thinking of calling it a day, you know, hitting the hay." She cursed herself mentally once more, why did she always embarrass herself? She had just rhymed and no doubt sounded utterly idiotic.

"Ginny," Draco deadpanned, "It's honestly 8 in the morning. If you don't want to hang out, if your Gryffindor pride is kicking in, then just tell me." He gave her a look of derision. "I make it a habit to never force my company on someone," his mouth twisted into what resembled a grimace. "I'm not my father."

"Draco!" Ginny's response was instinctive; she stepped forward and just touched the blond boy's face. He initially recoiled but then relaxed.

"I...I..." Ginny stuttered. "I didn't mean to hurt you," she finally said.

His look of disgust still haunted her. Though her fragmented mind, caught up in her nearness to Draco, his musky cologne and his gray eyes, she knew she didn't want him, the only person she had left, to hate her. She gently brought her lips to his, heart pounding in her throat, her breath hitched. He desperation and confusion rose to a crescendo and she surrendered willingly to Draco. For a few precious moments her mind was blissfully blank of anything except how good this felt. Then her mind returned and Ginny felt a rush of horror as she recalled what Draco had done. She stumbled back, breaking the kiss. She looked at him, wild-eyed and gaping.

For a moment, their eyes locked and she was aware of the painful look on Draco's face.

"I...I," she stammered then fled.

- - - -

"Draco," Blaise exclaimed, "Where in hell have you been?"

"Uhh...a meeting...for the Death Eaters," Draco said, sounding more as if he were posing a question then answering one.

"O...kay," Blaise said slowly, "How about you tell me about it."

- - - -

Ginny sank to the floor of her room. What had she been thinking? Was she mental? As soon as she heard Draco call her name, she ought to have bolted! Instead, she had hung around – like a fool! Oh, but how delightful had it been to give in to sweet surrender and lose herself with Draco. Maybe he wasn't responsible, maybe he was innocent, Ginny mused as she tried to place what Draco's cologne reminded her of. Shaking her head violently, Ginny chastised herself- there was absolutely no sense in pretending he was innocent. In order to clear her own name she had to get Draco to confess- somehow.

'I ought to just confront him, he'll confess when he realizes I've figured it out', was Ginny's first thought.

However her rational side protested this plan. What if Draco denied it, he'd realize what she was attempting and she'd never get him to confess. But what could she do, pretend everything was normal- all was peachy? Well wouldn't that be the best way? She could worm a confession from him and return to Gryffindor and her friends. It wasn't the best plan but it'd have to do.

- - - -

Crabbe was eyeing a pretty, 3rd year Gryffindor, she had blond hair which she was flicking over her shoulder continuously. She was sitting by Harry bloody Potter (or so Draco called him). Suddenly he noticed Blaise standing by Potter and chatting with the boy. They didn't seem to be arguing...and what was that that Blaise was slipping Potter? Some sort of note. Why would he be doing that?

The large Slytherin boy suddenly spotted a particularly mouth-watering glazed bun that had somehow escaped his mouth and all thoughts of Blaise and Potter were driven from his rather thick skull.

- - - - - -

AN: Next chapter we'll be met with subterfuge- as both Ginny and Draco go about deceiving each other...or are they? Maybe we'll learn what Blaise is up to...and will Crabbe ever meet a dish he doesn't like? Not bloody likely!


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